Ampd ESS for Off-Grid Tunnel Boring Project

Sydney

AUS

Location

Sydney, Australia

Contractor

Project Type

Tunnel

Location

Project Type

Main Contractor

Background

The North West Growth Area upgrade kicked off with a budget of $ 90 million and one of its primary projects was to bore tunnels for a large water authority in New South Wales. The project was handled and carried out by a well-known utilities infrastructure company in Sydney, Australia.

The project involved constructing two parallel microtunnels, each measuring 270 meters in length and 1,200 millimeters in diameter. To complete the tunnels, a reliable and efficient power system was required to manage the tunneling equipment consistently, regardless of the dynamic loads, while also reducing fuel consumption and on-site noise. This was provided by Ampd Energy’s Enertainer Energy Storage System (ESS).

30%

reduction in operating costs

90%

reduction in CO₂ emissions

32 times

quieter than a diesel generator

1/10th

reduction in generator footprint size

Introduction & Project Information

Site Setup

The Challenge

During the early stages of the project, the first micro tunnel was completed using 1,250 kVA worth of diesel generator power, with up to four generators running. However, one of the key challenges pointed out by the team was the high fuel consumption of these machines, which led to significantly high fuel costs and slowed down the project timeline.

The challenge revealed that crews were often disrupted when generators failed to operate efficiently due to reliance on surplus fuel, leading to workflow interruptions and delays in critical tasks until additional fuel became available.‍

Noise emissions were another significant problem because the generators were constantly running at full load, creating a loud and disruptive environment for on-site workers and nearby communities.

The on-site crew noted that, for a project of this scale, four tunneling machines were each powered by a large diesel generator. These generators ran at full capacity, and even when power demand was low, it resulted in excessive carbon emissions, wasted fuel, as well as high operational costs. This created a need for a more efficient solution.

The Solution

After identifying these problems, two Ampd Enertainers were deployed and, when paired, provided a combined 900 kWh ESS for the site, making this a first in Australia to use this technology to power a microtunnel machine. Not only do these Enertainers replace 1,250 kVA worth of diesel generators with 270 kW of optimized cycle-charging generators, they also eliminate the need for large amounts of fuel and significantly reduce the on-site noise.

Beyond efficiency and reliability, the Enertainers deliver solid environmental benefits. The Ampd ESS run on lithium-ion batteries and produce a carbon footprint that is 70%–90% lower than a diesel generator, drastically reducing air pollution while still performing the same job.

Once the Enertainers are set up, they receive power from the 270 kW cycle-charging generator, storing electricity in its Lithium-ion batteries, and when power is needed on-site, the system draws from the stored energy. With this, there is an uninterrupted, reliable, and low-emission power output.

With all of these in place, the Enertainer ESS is able to supply power to the micro tunneling machines.

‍

Results

After deploying the required power from the Ampd Enertainers and downsizing the diesel generator, the overall generator footprint on-site was reduced to 1/10th of its original size. This drastically freed up space on the site and reduced localised congestion on the equipment on-site.

The team was able to easily meet the project’s power needs, even without a connection to the main grid. This was possible because the battery system used cycle charging to store energy and release it as needed, while its dynamic load capacity effectively handled sudden spikes in power demand.

All of this resulted in immediate reductions in fuel usage, and emissions, and a much quieter site, with all construction operations powered by the battery system and no generators running on-site.

The switch from diesel generators to the Ampd ESS has proven to be a great decision, benefiting both the progress of the project and the team’s efforts. The client emphasized how successful the Enertainers have been in improving their operations, making it the most efficient and environmentally friendly energy system.