Milan, March 2, 2020 – The change in ownership of the Chalfont (USA) Laboratories’ from DNV GL to CESI has completed today. The independent testing facility in Chalfont is the largest of its kind in the United States. It features 1000 MVA and 2500 MVA short-circuit generators; a 1500 kV impulse generator; a 600-kV power frequency test set; battery test cells and a 2 MW grid-connected energy storage test lab.
With the transfer completed, KEMA Labs – now the Testing, Inspection and Certification Division of CESI – further strengthens its position as the world leader for independent testing of advanced technological components for the energy industry. By offering independent testing and inspections services through its top-class laboratories in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, United States of America, Czech Republic and Middle East, in addition to a permanent presence in China for inspection activities, KEMA Labs supports its global clients in innovating, integrating as well as assessing the reliability and resilience of their electric power advanced technologies.
Worldwide, the KEMA Labs testing and inspections facilities include the world’s largest high-power laboratory, with the highest short circuit power of 10,000 MVA, and the world’s first laboratory capable of testing ultra-high voltage components for super grids, as well as the Flex Power Grid Laboratory, for advanced testing of smart grids digital components .
KEMA Labs’ expertise and assets allow all sector technologies to be experimented and tested, simulating extreme, complex operating conditions. The R&D centers of all major international component manufacturers and utilities worldwide are taking advantage of KEMA Labs facilities to develop and streamline their products right from the research, development and prototyping phases. In addition to power and voltage ones, tests in controlled climatic environments can be performed to assess the resilience of components to ice or extremely low or high temperatures. The Group platforms are also used to conduct tests by simulating the mechanical stress that power components undergo during heavy earthquakes, downfall, floods and strong winds. Furthermore, tests on direct current power cables, electric car recharge stations, smart grid components, demand response IOT and smart meter systems are performed too, in order to support utilities and manufacturers in the integration of these advanced technologies into complex and distributed systems such as the power grids of the future.
“Our global clients, leading utilities and innovative manufacturers in the power sector, can now enjoy not only the additional benefit of being served by the extensive coverage of our KEMA Labs world-wide network of top-class laboratories —providing testing, inspections and certification services— but also the value-added opportunity of being advised by our global network of CESI energy engineering and tech innovation consulting experts acting in 40 countries around the world”, said Matteo Codazzi – CESI Group Chief Executive Officer.
