What is the lifetime of the one power transformer? Which parts can be recycled? How does the transformer recycling process look like? Why is that important for the environment? These are just some of the questions that the waste management and environmental protection experts gave during the technical conference „Transformer lifetime – the moment for recycling“ in order to highlight the importance of the transformation recycling process. Countries, such as Japan and Germany, are achieved financial savings and energy efficiency through this process od recycling. Experts from Switzerland and Serbia talked about what is the right time for transformer replacement.
„Nowadays, the lifetime of the one power transformer is about 30 to 40 years. But, once cellulose is degraded to unacceptable level it is considered that power transformer should be replaced“, said Dr Marco Käser, Weidmann company and added: „Being an organic material cellulose natural degradation is an irreversible process. The lifetime of the power transformer could be established by the condition of the cellulose.“
„By recycling of the recyclable transformer components, the secondary raw material is returned to the production process in accordance with the waste management regulations. Mineral oil without PCB is directed to further energy utilization. Equipment decontamination which is contaminated with PCBs is performed according to the strict rules on the treatment of PCB equipment decontamination. In this way, each component becomes a kind of resource“, said Nevena Čolić Mohora, director of the Recycle centre Kneževac.
The technical conference „Transformer lifetime – the moment for recycling“ is organised by MITECO and support by Swiss-Serbian Chamber of Commerce.