TRANSFORMER
COST SAVINGS

How much does transformer ester fluid cost?

Natural Ester and Synthetic Ester fluids

We often get asked, “So, how much does natural ester fluid or synthetic ester fluid cost compared to mineral oil?” Even though the comparative transformer fluid price of esters is higher than mineral oil, the advantages offered by ester fluids lead directly to cost savings.

The advantages of MIDEL ester fluids include their high fire and flash points, biodegradability, oxidation stability and excellent moisture tolerance, are acknowledged throughout the power industry.

Savings on civil works

There are longer term savings to be gained from civil savings during the construction phase of the substation or transformer location. Distances between assets can be reduced and often fire suppression equipment can be reduced or rendered unnecessary. All these elements combine to substantially reduce overall costs.

Lower insurance premiums

The use of MIDEL ester fluids can also reduce insurance premiums. Insurers such as FM Global may offer such cost savings for customers installing ester filled transformers, or “retrofilling” mineral oil units with MIDEL; this is because such transformers deliver much improved risk mitigation in terms of fire safety and environmental protection.

First-cost comparison: mineral oil and ester fluids

If you just compare the cost of mineral oil to a natural or synthetic ester oil, it will be higher in most cases. However, there are many applications where this additional cost is readily offset by advantages that the transformer owner can quantify, such as the enhanced fire safety (2x flash and fire point as mineral oil, highest fire point of any dielectric fluid) and environmental benefits (biodegradable, non-toxic, non-hazardous in water and soil, and simpler spill remediation).

We find organisations in environmentally-sensitive areas such as parks and waterways deem these features essential. These increased fire safety and environmental benefits far outweigh the increased fluid cost.

How can natural ester oil benefit your organisation?

There are many nuances to evaluating total cost of ownership and each organisation does this differently. We believe there are a number of ways MIDEL ester fluids can impact your transformer performance and bottom line. Contact our team to help you incorporate these cost-saving, performance-enhancing solutions into your company.