IN BRIEF

MANITOU BUYS KEY STAKE IN LITHIUM-ION BATTERY PROVIDER

Manitou Group has announced the acquisition of an 82% stake in easyLi, a specialist in the design and production of lithium-ion batteries.

Founded in 2011, France-based easyLi manufactures and maintains lithium-ion battery systems for electric mobility and stationary energy storage solutions. It has 25 employees and is based in the Poitiers, Futuroscope business district. The deal provides the group with an energy transition advantage and will expand its capabilties in R&D in the production and reconditioning of batteries. Michel Denis, president and CEO of the Group, explained, “easyLi’s expertise adds substantial value to our organisation. By internalising this expertise, we are going to be able to study machine-battery interactions in depth and thus continue to reduce total cost of ownership for our users. This operation is in keeping with our research and development plan.”

BI-ENERGY TECHNOLOGY COMBINES BATTERY PACK & DIESEL ENGINE

MOBILE GAS TURBINE HELPS TO SUPPLY POWER TO WAR-TORN UKRAINE

GE Gas Power is helping Ukraine by working with its customers to provide crucial power generation technologies.

A GE TM2500 aeroderivative gas turbine was recently shipped to Ukraine from Arizona on a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane to help support emergency power needs in the country.

The portable turbine was purchased by USAID, the United States government’s humanitarian and foreign aid agency, to help Ukraine restore power where it’s needed most.

“GE is uniquely positioned to be able to support Ukraine in their infrastructure rebuilding efforts, and our mobile aero technology has a proven track record for emergency power response situations due to its mobility, reliability, and flexibility,” says Aman Joshi, the general manager of GE’s aeroderivatives business at GE Gas Power, which is part of GE Vernova.

The arrangement with USAID, he adds, “is really symbolic of the kind of support GE can provide to countries that are in need of urgent power infrastructure.”

In simple terms, the TM2500 is a giant, mobile gas genset - a power plant on wheels, Joshi says. Whereas building a new plant takes one to four years, the approximately 28-megawatt machine, capable of powering the equivalent of more than 100,000 homes in Ukraine.

JLG Industries Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, is offering Bi-Energy technology as an option on its X770AJ and X1000AJ compact crawler boom lifts.

The system equips the machines with two full-sized, independent power sources – an emissions-free lithium-ion battery pack and a diesel engine – to allow use in both indoor and outdoor applications.

The X770AJ with Bi-Energy technology features a 100 Ah, 76 V lithium-ion battery pack while the X1000AJ has a 150 Ah, 76 V battery pack.

The batteries can be charged from an outlet at any time, including while the machine is in use. Both machines also come with a Kubota D902 diesel engine rated 21.6 hp at 3200 rpm.

The Bi-Energy system maintains the same performance of the lifts while minimizing their carbon footprint and decibel levels, said Angela Patterson, boom lift product management specialist at JLG. The design enables operators to choose the best solution for the application.

The diesel engine can be used to drive the machine to where the overhead work, then the machine can be switched to zero-emission, all-electric battery power to work at height for the remainder of the shift. Once the work is completed, the user can power the engine back up and drive the machine to another location. Users switch between power sources using two new buttons on the console box layout, which is otherwise common to those found on other JLG compact crawler boom lifts.

New Ceo For Ballard Power Systems For 2023

Ballard Power Systems, which produces and distributes zeroemission fuel cells, has appointed Mark Biznek, MEng, as its new chief operations officer.

A 30-year veteran with experience in operations, manufacturing, business development and manufacturing engineering, Biznek has spent the past decade at Kohler Power Systems, where he served as the vice president of global operations and supply chain, as well as the vice president of operations and engine development.

“I am excited to join the Ballard team as we work together to help customers achieve their decarbonisation goals,” Biznek said.

“I am looking forward to developing and executing our global operations strategy and manufacturing footprint, with a focus on long-term capacity scaling and product cost reduction.”

Biznek will be responsible for the company’s global operations — including environmental health and safety, quality, manufacturing strategy and engineering, supply chain, procurement, production planning, facilities and operational technology.

“We are excited to welcome [Biznek] to the Ballard team,” said Randy MacEwen, Ballard president and CEO. “His leadership experience across the business including supply chain, marketing, business development, and global operations will be a huge asset to Ballard’s operations.”

Antarctic Challenge Underway For Kohler Gensets

Kohler has announced a partnership with Robert Swan, OBE, for the South Pole 2023 expedition which is expected to take him across the Antarctic landmass to the geographic South Pole and beyond relying solely on renewable energy sources. Swan is currently on his journey relying on Kohler energy solutions.

Kohler has equipped Swan with a customised Kohler generator which uses a Kohler diesel engine fuelled by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).

Reportedly, the fuel is 90% carbon neutral and sourced entirely from waste products. HVO is a replacement for diesel fuel that is made from waste vegetable oils and other sustainable materials. It allows generator users to adopt low carbon, renewable energy without compromise on performance.

“Increased climate challenges have made critical resiliency solutions more important than ever,” said Swan. “We all have a responsibility for this last great wilderness left on Earth. Antarctica has always been a natural reserve land for science and peace, and it’s the only place like it on the planet.”

The off-grid sustainable system is expected to provide the energy needed to operate Swan’s base camp and provide battery charge to his mobile equipment.

The integrated energy system is controlled by the Heila Edge, a modular and decentralised energy platform from Heila Technologies – part of Kohler Co. –whicht connects and optimises solar arrays, batteries and other distributed energy resources, creating a resilient microgrid solution for Swan’s Antarctic base camp.

Kohler said its portfolio of energy products is built to withstand harsh weather conditions and provide reliable, resilient power when the grid cannot, making them a dependable energy solution for Swan.

The company has a proven history of resilient power solutions that have survived the unforgiving terrain of the South Pole. More than 90 years ago, Admiral Richard Byrd powered his Antarctic journey with Kohler generators.

Swan and Kohler’s partnership on the Undaunted expedition honors the progress of resilient and clean energy solutions and celebrates future possibilities of helping to control climate change and preserve the planet.

“Kohler’s relationship to the Antarctic and environmental sustainability is deeply rooted within our history,” said Francis Perrin, vice president of Marketing for Kohler, adding that Swan’s passion and perseverance are admirable traits that have also served Kohler well for 150 years. “Supporting the Undaunted Expedition with renewable energy solutions illustrates Kohler’s ongoing commitment to provide resilient energy systems and our journey toward strengthening our clean energy offerings.”

WÄRTSILÄ’S NEXT-GENERATION GRID BALANCING SOLUTION

Wärtsilä’s next-generation grid balancing technology is designed to provide flexible grid capacity even in adverse weather conditions and enable renewables to perform as the lowest-cost, most resilient power source for grids worldwide.

The solution is based on three fully integrated key components: the Wärtsilä 31SG Balancer engine, prefabricated modules for cost-efficient plant construction, and Wärtsilä Lifecycle services.

The Wärtsilä 31SG Balancer offers 12400kW (8% more power) at a heat rate of 6800 Btu/kWh /+50% efficiency, lowering the cost and risk of the renewable transition through flexible, resilient capacity.

The new engine technology is designed to provide power producers with fast-ramping balancing power, which can be scaled up as the share of renewables in power systems increases. The engine can start and ramp up rapidly to support intermittent renewable generation so that the lowest cost cleanest energy technology can become the dominant power source.

The engine in the Wärtsilä 31SG Balancer solution has been designed especially for U.S. environmental conditions, including adverse weather, to provide the optimal flexible technology and ensure continued running at times of extreme cold, or heat, from -40°C - +45°C /-40°F - +113°F.

“Extreme weather is intensifying – and ‘weatherization’ is now a requirement in states such as Texas. Through the freezing winter blackouts in Texas last winter and California’s heatwave this summer, renewable plants supported by our engines kept running. Our fast-ramping, agile engines are designed for the climate-changed world utilities now operate in, enabling the greater deployment of renewables in grids around the world,” said Risto Paldanius, Vice President, Americas, Wärtsilä Energy.

The Wärtsilä 31SG Balancer responds to market needs with a costefficient plant construction design, based on prefabricated, highquality power plant modules, says the company. It reduces time-to-electricity with 30% less site work than traditional construction methods. [Below: the site completed]

MAJOR ELECTROLYSER ORDER FROM S KOREA FOR A US$43 MILLION HYDROGEN PILOT PROJECT TO BE BASED ON JEJU ISLAND

YEST and its partner Enapter AG have won a contract from South Korea for the delivery of two AEM Multicore electrolysers with a total capacity of 2 MW. Thew plan is to install them in a 12.5 MW hydrogen pilot project on Jeju Island. The demonstration project is supported by the South Korean Ministry of Industry and Trade (Motie) with 62 billion South Korean won [US$43.3 million US].

The project aims to investigate and compare hydrogen production with different electrolysis technologies. Among the five companies selected for the project, Enapter AG is the only technology supplier from Germany or Europe. The systems supplied are expected to produce more than 1000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year. Installation of the two electrolysers in what is a pioneering project for South Korea will be carried out by YEST, which has been supporting Enapter as an integration partner since 2021

With the AEM Multicore, Enapter has developed what it believes is a cost-efficient alternative to traditional systems. This electrolyser can supply around 450 kg of green hydrogen per day, and by using several units in parallel, production can be expanded on an industrial scale.