GENSETS

This project involved careful planning to establish where all the generator sets could be placed, especially due to the size and weight of the equipment that was needed to reach 5MVA of power.

Power Electrics provided the customer with a solution to break up the required power into smaller generators that could all be synchronised together mitigating the risk of down time.

Ten 500kVA generators were chosen as they could be unloaded and installed in the limited space made available around the university buildings.

The total capacity of the solution reached the required 5MVA, meeting the client’s needs. The Power Electrics team worked closely with the customer, from the first meeting to the end of the hire, to ensure a seamless process throughout the project.

“Our team of experts provided guidance and advice on the best temporary power solution for the client’s needs, taking into consideration the space limitations and other requirements. The solution we provided was reliable, efficient, and quick to install, providing the necessary protection against network blackouts,” explains Lee Sharp, Sales Manager – Rental Major Accounts.

In a second contract Power Electrics worked on a multi-megawatt project for a Research Centre. A company spokesman comments:“Our team of generator specialists worked alongside a client to complete a large project where continuous power was critical. We provided the client a turnkey solution that comprised of two weeks at a science and research centre in the West of England.”

The challenge

The client required urgent maintenance which meant the entire site had to be taken off the HV

Power Electrics worked tirelessly to meet the deadline, which included delivery of all equipment, installation and connection as well as scheduling 24/7 on-site cover where engineers worked 8-hour shifts. 23 generators were hired to our client, eight of which were 1250kVA and 15 of which were 500kVA.” ring main and supported solely by generators. The original standby generators were not working ,meaning the old mains had to be switched off whilst work was carried out.

This required 11 different sub stations to be connected on LV and 24/7 engineer cover.

Power Electrics reports it ‘worked tirelessly’ to meet the deadline, which included delivery of all equipment, installation and connection as well as scheduling 24/7 onsite cover where engineers worked 8-hour shifts.

Twenty-three generators were hired to the client, eight of which were 1250kVA and 15 of which were 500kVA, and 9000 metres of cable were provided to cover the large site.

To put the size of the site into perspective, an estimated 170,000 steps were taken by team members over a fourday installation period.

Alex Hill, Business Development Manager, was responsible for ensuring the project ran smoothly: “We were given a tight schedule for installation and commissioning.

“From the initial call from the client to the day of energisation we had seven days. This included a site survey, scheduling of 24/7 on site engineer cover and four days to deliver, place and install the 23 generators, tanks and 9km of cable.”

Several substations were deemed as critical supply and needed additional resilience, with that several substations had N+1 redundancy. Along with giving the N+1 resilience, the Power Electrics team had to synchronise the primary generators at the majority of substations. This prevented planned shutdowns on site and allowed the end-users staff to carry out normal working patterns without disruption.

Rob Mason, Projects Manager, oversaw the project installation team. He says: “Efficient planning was key to the success of the project, utilising our own transport fleet ensured we followed the strict timescales and delivery slots throughout the install stage, allowing me and the team to concentrate on installing the generators and support energisation of the various substations.” powerelectrics.com