Van der Spek buys BESS units for tower cranes and more

One of the Liebherr LPO 100 BESS units on site with contractor Schoukens Bouw in Belgium, powering a large Liebherr tower crane. Photo: Liebherr

Crane and construction machinery dealer and rental house Van der Spek in Belgium invested in nine large battery energy storage systems often used to power tower cranes.

The Liebherr LPO 100 systems will help meet demand in the drive to electrify construction sites. LPO 100 offers a gross energy capacity of 94 kWh as an alternative to, or to supplement, grid power and-or diesel generators. They are quieter than diesel generators and produce no carbon dioxide at the point of use.

Van der Spek already put some units out to work and others are being added to the equipment rental fleet which consists of about 650 machines.

Commenting on his purchase Erik van Audenrode, Van der Spek sales director, said, “We witness a sharp increase in demand, especially at our subsidiary in France, where regulations aimed at reducing emissions on construction sites are already much more advanced. In urban areas, diesel generators are often no longer an option. Belgium and the Netherlands will follow – and we are well prepared for it.”

Five new Liebherr LPO 100 BESS units at Van der Spek’s premises in Ternat, Belgium. Photo: Liebherr

In application

Belgian construction company Schoukens Bouw acquired two of the new energy storage systems and put them straight to work on a site in Tubize. One system, with its peak output of 110 kVA, copes with the energy and voltage demands of a large Liebherr 550 EC-H tower crane.

In addition to cranes, Van der Spek sees other applications for BESS units, including power for events, the military and as emergency power supplies. It plans to add more systems and strengthen its position in the sustainable power supply sector.