VTS Sint-Niklaas

The challenge

For the VTS Sint-Niklaas project, STRABAG Belgium is building 7,000 m² of new classrooms and labs for the Free Technical Schools, representing an investment of 11 million euros.

Some of the construction will be done with heavy precast elements, for which two tower cranes of the Wolff 6031.12 Clear type will be used.

Each crane can hoist up to 12 tons and features a 45 kW hoist motor, representing a measured peak power of about 80 kVA.

However, the existing grid connection of the school building is only 80 A / 400 V (≈ 55 kVA) - insufficient to supply both valves simultaneously without risk of overloading.

A traditional solution using a diesel generator or temporary medium-voltage cabin would incur additional costs, noise and emissions.

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The goal

STRABAG Belgium wanted to operate the entire construction site electrically through the limited grid connection, without diesel consumption, without noise and without exceeding the grid capacity.

The solution

Through Vandaele Rental, the Neargrid BOOST battery was chosen, powering the construction site from the existing retail connection.

The BOOST unit acts as an intelligent buffer: it provides additional power when the cranes are lifting, and recharges itself during moments of rest.

 The cabling scheme was designed with Neargrid for maximum efficiency:

- The Boost directly feeds the two tower cranes (the largest peak consumers).

- The battery was placed at the base of one of the cranes to reduce cable losses and material costs.

 The remaining outlets provide power to construction site lights, mushrooms and utilities.

The Boost requires only 40 A on the input side, half the available capacity. The remaining 40 A is sufficient to power a chain park of ten heated and illuminated modules, including electric water heaters.

The result

With the deployment of the Neargrid battery system, STRABAG combines sustainability with operational efficiency :

- Completely emission-free construction site without a diesel generator

- Continuous power from a small consumption connection (55 kVA)

- Stable power supply for two tower cranes of 80 kVA peak each

- Lower costs due to shorter cable runs and avoided grid reinforcement

-           Stille werking (< 40 dB(A)) - ideaal in stedelijke omgeving

Thanks to Neargrid Boost, STRABAG proves that even a large school yard can run perfectly on emission-free battery power without compromising on power or reliability.

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