If we want to understand the most recent trends in on-site equipment and plant product in the region, a good place to start is the recent order history.
A major order in March was the purchase by Dubai’s Rental Solutions & Services of more than 300 generators from JCB Power Products. This deal was worth more than $11m and was the largest export order so far this year for the UK-based equipment manufacturer.
The units are being leased by RSS to a global oil and gas company which needed urgent standby power to support their operations.
The order is also the biggest yet for JCB’s newly launched range of RS generators, which have been specifically designed and manufactured for the global rental sector and range in output from 60kVA to 500kVA, or enough to power 15,000 homes.
The first four RS-branded generators from JCB Power Products will offer outputs of 60kVA, 80kVA, 100kVA and 125kVA — the most popular power nodes for rental machines, according to the OEM. Powered by a four-cylinder Stage IIIA complaint variant of JCB’s award-winning DieselMax engine, the generators are fitted with Mecc Alte alternators, delivering a 3-5% efficiency improvement, and operated by intuitive, user-friendly Deep Sea Electronics controllers.
The 60kVA, 80kVA and 100kVA models use mechanically-controlled engines, while the 125kVA model has an electronically-controlled setup. The generator design has also been future-proofed, to accept engines up to Stage V emissions standards in years to come.
The units are all fitted within a robust sound-attenuated canopy, and also feature JCB’s LiveLink for Power telematics system as standard, allowing fleet managers and company owners to access operating data on all JCB generators working in the field, and help them manage and optimise a fleet’s utilisation, as well as schedule servicing, and remotely diagnose faults and installation issues.
Garry McMahon, director of operations at RSS, noted: “We have a choice of generator suppliers in the Middle East, but we chose JCB Power Products as its range is the best rental selection we have seen. The brand presence of JCB in our region also ensures that our customers know we are working with quality equipment and providing the best possible back-up.”
Rental ready, the gensets can be equipped with an optional engine coolant heater and battery charger for static installations, or an anti-condensation heater to ensure that the alternator remains dry between periods of rental.
RS generators are supplied in a robust, durable canopy that is Zinctec powder-coated for additional longevity, and comes with integrated tie-down points for secure transport and on-site movement. The first four generators are also sound and weather attenuated, offering sound levels as low as 65 decibels (dB), as perceived by the human ear at seven metres.
The RS generators have large capacity fuel tanks, with a 24-hour operating tanks available as an option. The four initial models also utilise fuel filtration and water separation systems finessed down to five microns — ensuring performance in the toughest site conditions.
Jonathan Garnham, MD at JCB Power Products, added: “We launched our RS rental range just a year ago and it is proving extremely successful in a competitive global market.”
Silent treatment
Himoinsa is another manufacturer investing heavily in research and development to give it a cutting edge in the cutthroat power generation market. One area in particular in which it has recently concentrated is lowering its sound levels — targeting the market for projects in urban or otherwise noise sensitive environments.
A significant development for the manufacturer over the past year has been the launch of its ‘Silent Plus’ range, which dramatically reduces noise emissions of the machine. The genset range employs Stage IIIA engines from Yanmar, FPT and Scania, and covers a power range between 20kVA and 550 kVA while guarantee noise levels of just 61dB at seven meters — significantly undercutting its rivals on the logarithmic decibel scale.
This is thanks to a complex array of the air intakes and outputs. The generators use a ‘dual core exhaust system’ with two silencers as standard and uses top quality insulation material, including high-density, 100mm thick rock wool and silent blocks specifically sized for each of the engine-alternator assemblies and their dynamic characteristics.
The design also insulates the control panel to avoid noise emissions when it is opened to access the controls. The units are also waterproof and have a mechanically highly resistant canopy with stainless steel locks to provide greater security against vandalism or robbery.
The first unit in the Silent Plus range is the HRFW-250 T5, which comes with an FPT engine. Aimed at the rental sector, it has a 1660-litre tank that, in the context of the low consumption of its rail injection engine, allows it to run for 30 hours, or almost four non-stop working days, without having to refuel.
The series also has the same optional elements as Himoinsa’s other rental ranges, including cyclonic air filters, leakage detectors, and three-way valves for fuel filter water separators or quick connectors. This includes Powerlock outlets, which enable quick, simple and safe connection to of the genset’s rated kW capacity — and all it takes to make the connection is a quick flick of the wrist.
ACE in the HOLE
Another manufacturer and rental alliance struck in the region is between the UK’s Constant Power Solutions (CPS) and the UAE’s APT Construction Equipment Rental (ACE Power), who have begun a business partnership to market and sell CPS’s generators in the UAE.
CPS generators are a new addition to the temporary power line-up in the Middle East, but again, the reference of these products to UK and EU standards is but another sign pointing towards the increasingly discerning nature of the customer in the Middle East.
ACE Power itself is a provider of temporary power solutions with 13 years of experience in the UAE power generation business. It was established in 2002 with some 50 years of combined experience in the industry across its founding partners — drawn from roles in various multinational operations.
Together, CPS and ACE Power will deliver generators with capacities ranging from 15KVA up to 1250kVA in single unit, as well as synchronised gensets for multi megawatt packages.
ACE Power is also working on furnishing its customers with several flexible rental/ownership arrangements. Boben Mathew, GM at ACE Power, noted: “We are planning to provide ‘hire purchase’ and ‘rent to own’ options for large fleet owners that work in a similar way to rentals, but without requiring capital outflow. With the hire purchase option, you pay a 25% down payment, the balance is paid over 12, 24 or 36 months, and you acquire the assets; or, you can rent it normally, and at the end of 12, 24 or 36 months, you will have the option to purchase these units — adjusting a portion of your rental charges against its residual value.”
Among, the rental operator’s other efforts to reach out to the customer is its ‘power on demand’, where ACE Power assess the customer’s project requirements and provides a diesel generator size that best fits the customer’s modal load requirement, and caters to peaks in demand with additional synchronised units.
The setup then uses automatic load sharing and a load-dependent start-stop function to optimise both the power generated and the fuel consumed by the diesel generator combination. So when the power demand on a lone generator reaches 60%-70%, a second generator comes online, and when their total output reaches 60-70%, a third generator comes online.
This is an alternative to a common practice in the region, which is to select a single genset that matches the peak demand of a project, but which is oversized for a large proportion of the time, using unnecessary fuel and potentially shortening the life of the gensets. ACE Power’s system, by way of contrast, can reduce total fuel consumption by 30% to 40%.
Commenting on how ACE Power arrived at this solution, Mathew noted: “The generator sizing is mainly based on our past experience of previous sites where, in many cases, we have come across diesel generators that are running at partial or low loads, and sometimes even less than 30% of its rated capacities. This is unsafe for the diesel generators and results in unnecessarily high energy costs and emissions.”
MORE NEW ENTRIES
Other temporary power supplies jostling for attention include Kohler-SDMO, whose KD series of industrial diesel generator now includes generator sets for power nodes between 800 kVA and 4,200 kVA.
Tom Cromwell, group president for power at Kohler, said: “These generators are powered by our new G-Drive engines, which were developed to provide outstanding power density and complete dependability in the field. Plus, because these are fully-integrated Kohler generators, we are able to stand behind this line with an elevated aftersales offering, including a global three-year warranty.”
Separate from its Silent Plus range, Himoinsa is also looking to storm the market with a new rental series based on FPT engines. The four initial models are led by the HRFW-600 T5, which can supply 600kVA primary power or 659kVA in stand-by.
“The range is designed to have 17% lower consumption than other generators in the same power range, as well as service interval that is 200 hours longer — thanks to a 32-litre oil tank they can operate continuously for 600 hours without an oil change.
Asif Khan, GM for the plant and equipment division of GENAVCO, the UAE distributor for Kohler-SDMO’s duty-cycle generators, said: “The genset business for us is a steady business, because we do not handle standby business, and every building requires standby power. We sell Kohler-SDMO’s continuous duty-cycle project, so any jobsite that requires continuous, primary power.”
GENAVCO has also been the distributor for CompAir diesel-powered air compressors for the past 25 years, and also distributes Boge electric compressors. Commenting on the use of electric compressors in the market, he noted: “It depends on the application: there are some industrial applications where you cannot use diesel compressors and you have to use electric compressors, for example indoors or in otherwise quiet environments.”
LIGHTING UP
In light towers, Terex now offers a range of four Genie models, led by the RL4 light tower as the most popular rental choice, due to its superior value for both rental yards and end users.
The latest RL4 unit runs for up to 90 hours on a single tank of fuel, compared to 50 hours in the previous version — thanks to the integration of a 50% larger fuel tank. It also has a simple and efficient vertical mast for quick set-up and deployment that also allows for 17 units to be loaded on a single 48-ft truck.
The model can also equipped with automatic timed start-stop functions and even a photocell triggered option that activates the light tower in response to specific lighting conditions.
The compact, heavy-duty Terex AL4 light tower meanwhile offers additional mast height along with a heavier-duty chassis for towing.
The Terex AL5 and AL5HT models are industrial, heavy-duty light towers built for tough jobsites, and accommodate several power options and customisation for specific needs.
Marie Engstrom, Genie product manager, Terex AWP noted: “The Terex AL5 light tower has four 1000W lights and offers durability in harsh environments with a heavy-duty chassis suitable for towing on rough roads, cabinet storage for lights for security, and more galvanized features for on-site durability.”
All in all, on-site plant is currently a dynamic segment, with producers placing a clear emphasis on greater efficiency and lower lifecycle costs, and the competition continues to intensify.