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Sustainable power generation in places without a fixed power connection or too small a connection presents challenges. Often, alternatives are not yet widely available or affordable. But progress is being made. Bredenoord has been working for years on making temporary and mobile power emission-free as much as possible. And with success. An interview with Zef Jansen (account manager) about the latest developments in the field of temporary power solutions and Bredenoord's new role as a thinking specialist in sustainable energy security.
The era when we just delivered a genset is long gone, Jansen begins. “Especially in demanding environments or in large-scale and progressive tenders for projects where there are no grid facilities. Then one soon has to rely on temporary power generation and this should preferably be as ‘green’ as possible. Together with our clients, we provide an optimum solution to this issue, often in a mix of technologies. That is definitely where our strength lies today, thinking along at all levels, obviously in combination with our sustainable solutions.”
Bredenoord has been working on making temporary power cleaner and emission-free for many years. From simple effective solutions like a patented particulate filter to bigger challenges like hydrogen-powered power. “For example, we were the first to launch a hydrogen-driven generator based on a fuel cell in 2008, have been working with sustainable alternatives to regular diesel for years, and our E-Saver was the first battery solution for smaller power demands in 2012,” says Jansen. Still, according to Jansen, a battery is not a complete replacement for fossil fuels. “In some cases it succeeds, think of peak port on a grid connection. However, there are many applications where additional power generation is needed. Bredenoord's hybrid technologies address this. The battery systems are therefore an extension to make our current fleet more energy efficient and efficient, because a battery alone often does not last long enough without recharging. Energy storage is an essential pillar in consumption, optimization and diesel alternatives. Consider power generation through methanol, hydrogen, biogas or the already readily available HVO diesel for regular generators where there are fluctuating loads. All but HVO require energy storage to operate stably and efficiently. This is true even for modern Stage V engines, which need precisely the optimum load to be clean. There, too, a battery pack provides an efficient operating range.”
The fleet of battery systems has now expanded considerably. Jansen: “We started with the Battery Box 600 in 2018. With 600 kW/kWh, this is still the largest mobile energy storage in Europe. Later we expanded the fleet with the Battery Box 80, 150 and 300 and more will follow in the near future. Our systems are sized so that battery capacity and output are almost identical. Based on the power demand, we then determine which model best suits the need. In addition, we still have more than one hundred E-Savers with an output of 15 kW. These systems are often used with existing generators in a so-called hybrid application, often combined with mobile solar energy. Perfectly suited, for example, to feed a chain park or to provide temporary power in a Natura 2000 area where no noise may be produced after sunset. In combination with solar panels, fuel savings in summer of up to as much as 90 percent (!) are possible.”
By thinking along, Bredenoord knows how to realize reliable and affordable sustainable energy solutions that can also cope with the substantial tool electrification in construction. “So the internal combustion engine is certainly not yet written off but we see the current developments as an important intermediate step to eventually arrive at an emission-free future of temporary power. In fact, supplying large consumers with power using hydrogen is still a bridge too far at the moment, due to the limited availability of green hydrogen, logistical challenges and costs. Of course, we are working hard on these technologies to build the right knowledge and hardware to eventually provide completely emission-free solutions.”
