Parking tower UZ Gent

The challenge

 For the construction of the new parking tower on the UZ Gent campus, Wyckaert needed a reliable, quiet and emission-free energy supply for three heavy tower cranes:

- Potain MD689 M40 - maximum lifting capacity 40ton

- 2 × Wolff 7032.12 Clear - maximum lifting capacity 12 tons per crane

The cranes have lifting motors of 75kW (Potain) and 45 kW (Wolff) respectively, good for a measured peak power of about 120kVA for the Potain and 80 kVA per Wolff crane when lifting and slewing simultaneously.

That means a theoretical combined peak demand of over 280 kVA when the cranes are operating simultaneously.

However, the available 63 A grid connection (≈ 43 kVA) was located a considerable distance from the crane setups.

Covering that distance would normally require heavy cables with large cross sections (185 mm² or more), costly to purchase, difficult to handle and rarely reusable on other projects.

A traditional solution using a diesel generator would cause extra fuel consumption, CO₂ emissions and noise, which is at odds with the project's sustainability ambitions.

The goal

Wyckaert wanted to be able to electrically operate the three tower cranes simultaneously,

without heavy cabling or temporary medium-voltage cabin,and with a stable, quiet and emission-free power supply that could operate within the limited grid connection.

The solution

In cooperation with Neargrid, the Boost 200kVA battery was chosen,

which acts as an intelligent buffer between the grid and construction site consumers.

The battery is fed through a 63 A connection at 400 V, good for a continuous available grid power of ± 43 kVA.

During peak times, the Boost effortlessly supplies up to 400 kVA, enough to run the three tower cranes simultaneously without overloading the grid.

The result

The Boost 200 configuration provides a stable,emission-free and cost-efficient power supply without the need for an aggravated grid connection or diesel generator.

The construction of the UZ Gent parking tower thus becomes an exemplary project in emission-free construction: an all-electric construction site that performs powerfully with minimal infrastructure,

and which demonstrates that sustainability and efficiency go together perfectly.

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