Power on the go from Aggreko

Aggreko, a global provider of temporary power, temperature control and energy services, is adding mobile and modular energy storage to its 10GW fleet of distributed energy assets. The Y.Cube is an integrated, ready-to-install lithium-ion battery system, built on the expertise of energy storage company Younicos, which Aggreko acquired in 2017. Housed within a standard 20ft container, the 1MW unit can be delivered and quickly deployed worldwide.

The system can cover a variety of applications from 1MW up to multi-MW power output and is available in two versions: a 30-minute ‘power’ unit and a 60-minute ‘energy’ unit. The 20ft container houses batteries, inverters, heating ventilation and air conditioning, fire protection and auxiliary components. They are tested and pre-assembled by Aggreko, and controlled by intelligent software. It is designed for a wide ambient temperature range from -20°C up to 50°C to match the often-challenging requirements of remote sites.

Dan Ibbetson, Managing Director, Global Products and Technology at Aggreko, said, “Renewable energy is increasingly affordable, but not yet as universally available as it should be, while energy demand is increasing. Battery storage systems offer the flexibility required for safe and stable use of wind and solar power, and increase the efficiency of thermal units.”

The company is currently building a fleet of Y.Cubes so that it can deploy them on short notice. The units will be available for as little as six months or as long as several years under Aggreko’s “Energy-Storage-as-a-Service” model.

Karim Wazni, Managing Director, Aggreko Microgrid and Storage Solutions, said, “We’re already seeing considerable interest from a range of sectors and applications. One of the most economically attractive propositions is to combine the Y.Cube with natural gas and solar generation in off-grid applications.”

Aggreko will be deploying the Y.Cube as part of its hybrid microgrid solution at the Granny Smith gold mine in Western Australia, as well as in several African mining projects.