In today’s agricultural landscape, innovation and strategic energy management are paramount.

At Foreng, we pride ourselves on delivering solutions that not only solve immediate challenges but also pave the way for sustainable long-term growth. We recently partnered with a citrus fruit operation, which focuses on fruit packed for export, facing a common yet complex dilemma: how to expand their packing capabilities when the grid couldn’t supply the necessary additional electricity. The client’s citrus production was set to expand from an existing 167 hectares to a future total of 285 hectares.

The Challenge: A Bottleneck in Expansion

Our client, a citrus farm focused on export, wanted to add a new packing facility to their existing operation. The critical hurdle was a lack of available electricity from Eskom, which could not supply the additional 550kVA of electricity required for the new packhouse due to network constraints. This was coupled with insufficient spare capacity in their current system. The client’s goal for Foreng was clear: to amend their current operations to free up enough energy to power their new packhouse. The implementation timeline was crucial, as the new packhouse needed to be operational within one year, ready for the next packing season.

Before our intervention, the farm’s electricity was supplied by nine Eskom points with a total capacity of 1725kVA, but only 32% of this available power was utilised due to the traditional Eskom supply system. An energy analysis revealed that the peak irrigation consumption occurred in summer, while peak packhouse consumption occurred in winter. The future total power needs for the combined packhouse and increased irrigation demands were estimated at 1423kVA.

Our “Out-of-the-Box” Engineering Approach

What sets Foreng apart is our multidisciplinary consulting capability and a truly unique approach to problem-solving. Our engineering approach involves “out-of-the-box” thinking, where options not typically pursued are discussed and analysed, leading to broad-line thinking and surprising outcomes. We don’t just work with existing data; we have the insight to build future scenarios and simulate results to find the most feasible solution. We believe in “human brain computation” over preset tool algorithms, ensuring we don’t just find the easiest fix but a truly engineered solution.

For this client, our deep energy usage analysis highlighted a key area for savings. The custom-engineered solution involved a fundamental amendment to their existing irrigation system and procedures. We re-engineered how and when they irrigate to save significant electricity, all while ensuring the plants remained healthy and productive. This substantial saving was precisely what was needed to power the new packhouse.

Our feasibility study had two distinct components: water supply optimisation and energy supply optimisation.

Water Supply Optimisation

This involved analysing the bulk supply system and the infield supply system for 285 hectares of low-flow drip irrigation. Foreng was appointed to optimise the pumping arrangement and interlinkages for 165 hectares of existing irrigation and 118 hectares of additional planned irrigation over a 20-year lifecycle.

Energy Supply Optimisation

This focused on examining power consumption at all points in the supply network, identifying significant unutilised extra capacity. Key solutions included:

1. Consolidation of Eskom supply points: We recommended consolidating eight Eskom supply points into one central 1675kVA point. This consolidation alone could free up around 800kVA for packhouse extensions and result in annual savings on fixed administration fees.
2. Optimal Demand Management: Our analysis of hourly, daily, and weekly demands showed that more power was available between monthly maximum demand periods, allowing for a solution involving better demand management and load shifting.
3. Medium Voltage Supply: We recommended that Eskom provide power to the consolidated point at medium voltage (11kV), reducing internal network installation costs.
4. Supplementary Energy Sources: While a solar system was planned for cost savings, it could not solve the core winter power problem. Existing diesel generators were identified as the best solution for short-term power shortages.

Understanding the Client: Our Foundation of Trust

A crucial aspect of our success lies in our unwavering commitment to comprehensively understand the client’s way of doing things. We learned that making amendments to established infrastructure can be devastating if it doesn’t align with the practicalities of a farming season. Therefore, we make it our mission to listen to the client to truly understand their message, decipher their needs, and ask clarifying questions until what we propose makes complete sense and builds trust.

Tangible Results & Long-Term Value

The impact of amending the irrigation systems and procedures was immediate and profound:

• Significant Electricity Savings: The changes resulted in large savings in electricity, directly enabling the new packhouse. The consolidation of Eskom accounts delivered an additional bonus of R241,332 in annual savings on fixed administration fees alone.
• Massive Production Growth: The farm could expand its citrus production from 167 hectares to 285 hectares and doubled its packhouse capacity.
• Enhanced Operational Control: The farm can now pack its fruit in-house, eliminating the need for outside packing services. This translates to better control over their product and, ultimately, better long-term returns.
• Future-Proofed Operations: Our solution went beyond the immediate problem. We identified and addressed future Eskom constraints within the current design, mitigating future risks and ensuring the client can react quickly to any changes without being stranded.

At Foreng, we’re not just providing a service; we’re building partnerships that empower our clients to achieve their strategic goals, even when faced with significant external constraints. This project stands as a testament to our commitment to deep understanding, innovative engineering, and delivering lasting value.