Emergency power lands in Lusaka
CGM and Perkins took the controls to deliver a 1,500 kVA power installation for Zambia’s largest airport.
Lusaka International Airport, in Zambia’s capital, is an important hub for business and tourism. With capacity for two million passengers a year, the airport connects Lusaka with destinations across Africa and the Middle East.
While Zambia’s power grid was strengthened by $60m of investment back in 2016, standby power was still an important requirement for the airport.
Its highest priority was to guarantee continuous power in its main passenger handling area, so travellers’ needs would be consistently met and flights could operate flawlessly.
The airport’s owners selected Italian generator set provider CGM to develop a solution. As well as delivering 1,500 kVA of back-up power, the unit would need to operate effectively at temperatures of up to 55°C.
CGM President and founder Giorgio Chilese and managing director Stefano Chilese.
The heat was on
Having worked successfully with Perkins on electric power projects since 1985, CGM turned to them once more. Perkins supplied its 4012-46TAG2A engine to meet the necessary power output, while its engineers joined forces with CGM to adapt the radiator and generator’s air inlet and outlet to ensure the unit would work seamlessly, however extreme the temperature.
CGM – as well as its airport client – have been thrilled with the collaboration and final solution.
“Perkins is our number one partner, because of the quality of its products, wide range of power outputs and the great relationship we have,” said CGM managing director Stefano Chilese. “Our relationship with Perkins gets better and bigger every year.
“Perkins brand has real appeal and is the leader by far in the Middle East and Africa. When we deliver a CGM product with a Perkins engine inside, our customers feel much more comfortable compared to other engines.”
