Kennards Hire Helps Power Up Tunnel Project

The Acciona Samsung Bouygues Joint Venture (ASBJV) came to Kennards Hire seeking a quieter, cleaner power generation solution for the WestConnex M4-M5 Link Tunnels project in Sydney.

The Kennards Hire team delivered with equipment from the energy efficient solutions range that enabled significant reductions in emissions, fuel usage and noise.

The challenge

The ASBJV team needed to keep the site generator running 24/7, requiring large quantities of diesel every week and resulting in unwanted noise at night. 

Other challenges they faced included generator engine damage from the light loading, and the level of CO2 emissions the machine was producing.

The team had seen some Kennards Hire LinkedIn posts that were relevant to their situation. They decided to approach Kennards Hire about trialling a quieter, cleaner and more efficient hybrid solution in place of their existing generator. 

Project manager Clement Kaiffer said reducing emissions was particularly important to the team, with stakeholders increasingly expecting net-zero results.

Taking a collaborative approach to the solution

The Kennards Hire team, led by operations product specialist Paul Nicholson, met on-site with Clement, the project electrician and the sustainability manager Ben Burrows to discuss their options.

After evaluating site needs, the Kennards Hire team suggested the 45kva Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). This would be coupled with a 100kva diesel generator to provide cycle charging and load support. 

A BESS unit, combined with a diesel generator, enables operations to be maintained when power requirements are low by running only on the battery system. In the process, it reduces fuel use, noise and carbon emissions. 

ASBJV agreed to test the BESS unit and the replacement generator for a three-month period. 

Kennards Hire believes in taking a collaborative approach to solving customer challenges, rather than simply providing a quick-fix answer from a distance. In this case, the team worked closely with the site electrician to gather all the data required to arrive at the optimum solution.

“Load calculations had to be completed for a number of options due to the site changing and being bought back to a smaller footprint," Paul said.

"We had to ensure that our solution would be suitable for the changing needs of the site."

Significant savings as a result

The results of the BESS solution are pretty spectacular!

These include:

• A 50-70% reduction in diesel usage.
• Significantly reduced CO2 emissions – at an average of 800-1000kg per week.
• A reduction in generator operating hours - running twice a day for up to three hours per cycle as opposed to 24 hours per day.
• Significant reduction in noise.

“The unit has been working on site seamlessly since, and we are speaking to the customer about similar opportunities for their next project,” Paul said.

Clement said he was pleased with the results, and the customer service provided by the Kennards Hire team.

“I believe that these solutions are the future of the construction industry, and they should be communicated to all the main players," he said.

At Kennards Hire, we love making customers happy, and we're looking forward to working with Acciona, Samsung and Bouygues Construction Australia again!

If you'd like to know more about efficient power solutions for large-scale infrastructure projects, contact your closest power specialist.