Gas power and battery storage for data centre

A leading colocation provider encountered a power issue, when they found that they would not be able to connect a data centre they were developing for a client in Dublin until several months after the site was due to come online. Rather than delay construction on such a vital facility until the grid caught up, the customer chose to find a bridging power supply that could support the site until the connection was available.

As this could take several months, the supply needed to be reliable enough to hit data centre tier requirements, use green technology that could meet with stringent EU standards on both emissions and noise, and be able to ramp up its power load as the date centre became fully active

After analysing the challenges facing the site, Aggreko provided, installed and commissioned a bank of 12 next generation gas (NGG) generators; enough to power the data centre as it ramped up, with generating power to spare for on-site services and to provide redundancy.

The clean gas-to-power technology was not only highly cost effective, with low capital costs and an operating cost competitive with that of a conventional grid connection, but met all environmental and noise requirements. The modular nature of the generators also meant that it could be easily and reliably scaled up as the site’s power demands grew.

Ultimately, we installed 14 MW of NGG generators at the Dublin site, as well as 10 kV switchgears, transformers and auxiliary equipment that allowed the site to operate completely independent of a grid connection. In addition we supplied a fully integrated, lithium-ion battery system - Y.Cube  - providing 1MW power at 30 or 60 minutes, offering improved power quality, emission reduction and fuel savings. 

The sets were ready to run from contracting to commissioning - in 12 weeks , compared to facing a two year estimated delay for grid connection. The deal also covered remote control capability for the equipment as well as 24/7 on-site presence.

The customer required a company that had a proven ability to quickly mobilise equipment and adapt to meet their requirements, our expertise, quality and reliability made us the ideal choice.

That doesn’t mean that we have any intention of resting on our past successes, however. We have constantly been at the forefront of newer, greener and more efficient power generation technology, with proven expertise in renewables integration hybrid power plants and battery storage, as well as the development of combined heating/cooling and power systems able to deliver the most cost efficient and environmentally friendly solutions possible.