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Etion scores in UK with wind farm project

Samuel Mungadze
By Samuel Mungadze, Africa editor
Johannesburg, 26 Aug 2020
Etion Group CEO Teddy Daka.
Etion Group CEO Teddy Daka.

Etion Create, a subsidiary of JSE-listed technology group Etion, has scored big after being selected as one of the preferred suppliers for a wind farm project in the UK.

The company will supply VF360 OpenVPX boards for the core computing units installed in the large UK-based Sofia project.

The Centurion-based company providesVF360 OpenVPX technology, which it says is key to the core computing units (CCUs) of GE Grid Solutions’ control system.

GE Grid Solutions is the consortium lead of the project, and the HVDC electrical transmission system it will supply relies on specialised technologies for its control and protection systems to ensure maximum system availability, says Etion Create.

The deal comes after CEO of Etion Teddy Daka told media his team is betting on cross-border markets to revive growth prospects, after extending losses in the financial year ended-March.

He said the aim is to restore profitability in uncertain market conditions and achieve long-term growth potential for its two units, Etion Create and Etion Secure.

Commenting on the deal on Wednesday, Etion Create System Engineer Piet du Toit said: “We believe our track record as a trusted supplier of innovative electronic technology for more than 20 years counted in Etion Create’s favour when GE Grid Solutions sought the required OpenVPX DSP technology that we have developed as part of our own portfolio.”

He adds: “Etion Create has extensive experience in designing and manufacturing products for harsh environments, having been associated with defence and aerospace products for decades.”

Etion Create has been supplying and supporting its VF360 OpenVPX module to GE Grid Solutions since the early stages of the eLumina project.

“In plain terms, digital signal processing (DSP) is typically used in application-specific processors or computers for real-time floating point calculations,” explains Piet du Toit. “DSP has a high level of accuracy, which is required in high performance computing platforms, such as GE’s eLumina HVDC control system CCU.”

The Sofia offshore wind farm is being constructed 200 kilometres off the UK coast in the North Sea area known as the Dogger Bank.

The wind farm is 100% owned by German utility RWE, one of the notable players in offshore wind power and the UK's second largest generator of electricity.

The company is reportedly planning to invest €5 billion in the continued expansion of renewable energy.

The listed specialist technology company has been chasing dollar growth since last year.

At the time, Daka told ITWeb his company was scouting beyond borders for growth due to the restrained local economy.

“Our strategy is underpinned by two things – one, we want to increase our dollar revenue. We recognise the South African economy will be subdued for some time, at least in the short term, therefore we need to internationalise some of our revenue,” he said.

In the current reporting period, Etion’s four units had mixed performances, with Daka saying the company will now customise solutions to support internationalisation and challenges faced by each business unit.

In the period under review, Etion Create had declining revenue, which the company says is attributable to the completion of certain large multi-year contracts and a delay in anticipated orders from the defence sector in the Middle East.

However, it says, disciplined financial and operational management enabled Etion Create to remain cash-generative and profitable, albeit at a lower level.

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