The South African energy crisis, commonly known as “loadshedding”, is an ongoing period of widespread national blackouts of electricity supply. It began in the later months of 2007 and has exponentially increased over the last few years.
With 99 days of load-shedding in 2015 to 332 days in 2023, the power supply crisis is a reality that many businesses and industries in South Africa have learned to live with, and forced to adapt to stay alive.
According to data by the South African Reserve Bank, load shedding costs the South African economy R900 million a day and as a result, major companies and industries have been investing in alternative power generation solutions.
Since 2003 Kirloskar already had a range of air-cooled and water-cooled diesel engines for power generation, in anticipation of what became reality in 2007. Over the last few years this range has grown substantially and now features engines ranging from 10kVA to 1000kVA capabilities.
We take a closer look at some of the engines that have been powering South Africa through these uncertain times and why they are the trusted brand in diesel-powered generators today.
R550 G drive – Add kVA range
This remarkable engine features a class leading NVH, low maintenance costs and low fuel consumption and is available in 1500 rpm to 1800 rpm.
Some of the salient features include:
- Electronic governor as standard feature
- Best in class integral actuator with position monitoring
- Electrical fuel transfer pump as standard feature
- Engine wiring harness supplied as standard feature
- ECU compatible for CAN communication
- Generating set controller offered as optional
- Communication with CAN enabled controllers is feasible
- Multi-tier stackable with different combinations
R Series – Add kVA range
These finely tuned engines feature naturally-aspirated 3 and 4 cylinder options along with turbo-charger configurations on 4 and 6 cylinder units to ensure precise Air to Fuel Ratio requirements to meet the load demands in this application.
K Series – Add kVA range
With excellent power-to-weight ratios the K Series offers a four-cylinder producing 114kW at 1500 rpm and a six-cylinder 147kW at 1500 rpm.
Both models are turbo-charged and after-cooled thus, very well equipped to handle high ambient temperatures as well as limited deration correction at high altitudes. Mechanically injected and electronically governed means that reliability and efficiency go hand in hand.
DV Series – Add kVA range
A V-configuration range of water cooled diesel engines with a basic and effective philosophy covering a power band from 360kW to 889kW at 1500 RPM. Emission norms equivalent to EU Stage II / US TIER II.
Engineered to deliver, the DV Series is an engine range that is specifically produced to meet the high precision and quality standard symbolized by the name Kirloskar.
With our wide range of engines in various power nodes and aggressive stock holding, we are able to satisfy your engine needs for power generation applications.
Reach out to any one of our industry experts today to see how we can get a Kirloskar engine incorporated into your power generation solution to keep your business running through power supply issues.