Protect Your Petrochemical Plant with Engineered Motor Control

Petrochemical and Oil & Gas plants operate in some of the most hazardous and high-stakes industrial environments in the world. From explosive vapours and corrosive materials to high mechanical loads and extreme temperature fluctuations, the operational demands are unforgiving. The failure of a single pump or motor can result not only in costly downtime but also in catastrophic safety incidents. It’s no surprise that reliable motor protection is a cornerstone of operational success in this sector.

In 2023, South Africa’s energy and petrochemical sectors faced mounting pressure due to energy instability and tightening environmental legislation. According to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), over 18% of reported industrial incidents in hazardous facilities were linked to electrical faults and overheating motors. With many local energy facilities operating in Secunda, Durban, and Mossel Bay operating under extreme conditions and regulatory scrutiny, the need for robust, locally supported motor protection has never been more important.

NewElec’s NewCode and KE motor protection relays are purpose-built for these harsh environments. Whether it’s a protection relay safeguarding a submersible pump in a hazardous area or remote diagnostics on a dewatering pump in a chemical storage facility, our engineered solutions help safeguard lives, assets, and production schedules.

The Role of Motor Protection in Hazardous Environments

In the Petrochemical industry, motors are responsible for driving essential processes: transferring chemicals, compressing gases, ventilating workspaces, and cooling systems that prevent overheating or system failure. Each motor must operate efficiently, predictably, and within safe thermal and electrical thresholds.

What makes these environments particularly challenging is the constant presence of flammable gases, corrosive liquids, and the potential for high-pressure conditions. Without thermal overload monitoring and robust phase-failure detection, the smallest electrical fault could escalate into a fire or explosion. NewElec’s relays, such as the MA Relay, KE Series Relays ,KD Series and NewCode Motor Protection Relays, are designed specifically to protect against thermal overload, running stall, over- and under-voltage, and more—all while supporting remote configuration and diagnostics. Motor protection with built-in harmonic filtering forms an essential part of the electrical architecture in plants and can significantly reduce system downtime.

Remote Pump Monitoring for Submersible, Dewatering, and Mag Pumps

With increasing pressure on plant efficiency and worker safety, remote monitoring has become a critical part of modern plant design. This is especially true for pumps located in hard-to-reach or dangerous zones, like submersible pumps in containment pits, dewatering pumps used in wash bays, or magnetic drive pumps (mag pumps) managing high-purity chemical flows.

NewElec’s NewCode Relay allows operators to receive fault alerts, thermal load status, and operational trends directly via Profibus, Modbus, or Ethernet communication. These remote diagnostics reduce the need for physical intervention in hazardous areas, increasing overall plant safety and allowing faster reaction times when issues arise. For example, in a South African petroleum blending facility, the deployment of relays helped reduce emergency maintenance callouts by 32% within the first 6 months, thanks to proactive fault monitoring and remote reset capabilities. This translated into improved operational uptime and reduced health and safety risks during manual inspections.

NewElec’s KD and KE series relays are easily commissioned into flameproof panel designs and are engineered to withstand surges, vibration, and temperature extremes. The KD and KE relay’s fault and event logs, combined with accurate earth leakage protection, ensure that operators are better equipped to meet OHS and international ATEX or IECEx standards. Furthermore, relays installed in explosive environments must offer quick reaction times and remote reset capabilities to avoid requiring manual access to high-risk zones. These features are increasingly included in NewElec’s newer-generation relays, streamlining safety compliance and reducing downtime.

Built-In Compliance: Protecting More Than Equipment

Operational compliance is about more than ticking boxes—it’s about protecting people, processes, and the environment. NewElec relays support real-time compliance data logging, providing time-stamped fault and event history to that can be used during incident reviews or audits. This has been a game-changer for downstream oil terminals, where regulatory inspections are frequent and plant uptime is mission-critical. Integrating NewElec’s relays into their SCADA infrastructure allowed real-time insights into motor behaviour, minimising non-compliance penalties and unplanned shutdowns.

Many plants across sub-Saharan Africa are now adopting digital-first approaches, with SCADA and PLC integration becoming standard. NewElec’s NewCode Dual Ethernet relay supports Modbus-TCP and PROFINET protocols, simplifying this integration, enhancing operational visibility for compliance officers and plant supervisors.

NewElec’s Compliance-Ready Relay Systems

To meet the rigorous safety, efficiency, and compliance demands of the Petrochemical and Oil & Gas sector, NewElec offers a suite of relay systems engineered specifically for hazardous and high-performance environments. NewElec relays deliver:

• Thermal Overload Protection: Prevents overheating under load.
• Earth Leakage and Earth Fault Detection: Ensures personnel and asset safety.
• Stall, Jam, and Locked Rotor Protection: Critical for high-viscosity chemical transfer pumps.
• SCADA Integration: Remote access for configuration and monitoring.
• Digital Fault Logs: Supports predictive maintenance and incident tracking.
• Modbus-TCP, PROFINET, and IEC61850 Ready: Seamless control system integration.
• 30-Year Product Lifespan: Long-term value in capital-intensive industries.

These compliance-ready solutions provide petrochemical and energy operators with confidence, knowing their motor assets are protected by intelligent, robust, and future-proof technology designed to minimise risk and maximise uptime.

Request a Technical Consultation

Contact our technical team today to discuss your site’s motor protection requirements. Whether you need pump protection, compliance assurance, or system integration support, we’ll help tailor a solution that meets your exact needs.