VTS Sint-Niklaas

In Sint-Niklaas, Strabag Belgium is using the Neargrid Force to provide power at the VTS project. Strabag is providing 7,000m2 of classrooms and labs for the Vrije Technische Scholen. The cost is 11 million euros. To build the new school building, partly consisting of heavy prefab elements, 2 tower cranes of type Wolff 6031.12 Clear will be used. Each of these tower cranes can lift a maximum of 12 tons.

With a lifting motor of 45kW which translates into a measured peak power of about 80kVA per tower crane, the power demand of the tower cranes already exceeds the available grid connection on site. The available grid connection comes from the already existing school building and amounts to 80A on 400V, resulting in an available power of 55kVA. Strabag, through our lessor Vandaele Rental, is using a Neargrid Force to supply the entire yard with the available power of 55kVA, without the use of diesel generators or an aggravated grid connection via temporary medium voltage cabin.

The yard's cabling schedule was drawn up in conjunction with Neargrid to make optimal use of the available power. Thus, the Neargrid Force is primarily used to power the large peak consumers, being the tower cranes. The Neargrid Force was positioned at the base of 1 of the cranes in order to minimize them the length of the large cross-section cables and thus save costs.

In addition, the mushrooms - which feed the other consumers on the site - and the lighting for both the tower cranes and the access road were also connected to the Force's still available outputs. To supply power to these consumers, the Force requires a power supply on the input side of 40A, i.e., half the available grid capacity. The remaining 40A is sufficient to power 10 lighted and heated container modules including electric hot water heaters. 

By deploying the Neargrid battery system and thoughtful cabling, Strabag succeeds in powering the entire yard from a retail connection.