Chinas Sinopec has found a way to get its transformer oil sold in other countries – by tying in with Chinese transformer manufacturers.
In December, the oil and gas giant said, a batch of transformers manufactured by Chint Group was sent to Venezuelas state power corporation, Corpoelec, filled with Sinopecs Great Wall paraffinic transformer oil. Chint Group is based in Zhejiang Province.
In June, Great Wall transformer oil also entered Belarus through transformers manufactured by Xian-based Xibian Zhongte Electric.
Sinopec started to sell paraffinic transformer oil using hydrogenated base oil as feedstock in 2007 and has increased its domestic market share to 18 percent in 2012. Rival PetroChina (CNPC) still dominates the Chinese market with transformer oils that it makes from naphthenic base stocks and sells under the Kun Lun brand name.
Exports of Chinese transformer oils have failed to reach significant levels, largely because they have been made to Chinas own standard – GB2536-90 – which was mostly based on a specification used by former Soviet Union. Not until June 2012 did China adopt an updated standard – GB2536-2011 – which is similar to the global IEC60296-2003 spec.
The new standard was jointly launched by the central government’s Standardization Administration and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.