Driving relief efforts in Argentina

Argentinian energy supplier, EDEN, is using truck-mounted generators, powered by Perkins, to re-energise remote rural communities following black-outs and emergencies.

Empresa Distribuidora de Energía Norte (EDEN) is an Argentinian power company that distributes and sells more than 2,650 GWh of electricity per year via 17,780 kilometres of transmission lines over an area of some 109,141 square kilometres.

While the majority of the country’s population does have access to an electricity supply, many remote and rural communities particularly in the north experience partial, inadequate or inefficient service.

With a clear sense of social conscience and a range of stringent regulations to meet, EDEN is focused on finding innovative ways to keep these isolated communities connected. This is particularly important during grid blackouts and other emergencies that leave families and businesses without power.

A key part of the company’s strategy in this area has been to equip a fleet of response trucks with mobile generator sets. Once in location, these vehicles and their on-board generators can provide the prime or standby power communities need to get residents’ lives back on track.

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Driving relief efforts in Argentina

No compromise on quality

With such an important role to play for its communities, EDEN knew it couldn’t compromise on quality when it came to sourcing the units. It approached respected Italian generator set designer and manufacturer Green Power Systems for support.

“EDEN came to us because of our reputation for delivering complex power solutions with a dedicated attention to detail. Our company’s technical department took the time and care to study the client’s needs and develop a unique package to meet its requirements using only the best, proven and reliable components, including Perkins engines.”
Paolo Pazzi, Business Development Manager

 

To meet EDEN’s far-ranging need for both prime and standby power at a range of different outputs, Green Power proposed a package of 15 generator sets, each reliably powered by Perkins. The solution comprised two GP198 S/P-N generator sets powered by Perkins® 1106A-70TAG3 units, three GP280 S/P-N units powered by Perkins® 1506A-E88TAG3, five GP560 S/P units powered by Perkins® 2506C-E15TAG2 and four GP1120 SM/P units powered by Perkins® 4008TAG2A.

Extra flexibility was also designed into the solution. Individual generators can be synchronised to achieve higher power outputs when needed. Units can also be synchronised with the local power mains to ensure supply remains continuous when the grid is under pressure.
 

Perkins power meets diverse demands

According to Mr Pazzi, Perkins-powered generator sets were the best and smartest solution for this varied and demanding job.

“We know from our own experience that Perkins engines are proven to perform,” explained Mr Pazzi. “Customers worldwide trust the brand and know they can depend on Perkins engines to operate reliably in a range of environmental conditions.

“We have thousands of our generators equipped with Perkins units working in all parts of the world – from Siberia to desert areas – so we were able to demonstrate to EDEN that our solution would provide the high performance and quality they needed and would also be robust and reliable.”

The generator sets have been operating in EDEN’s business since June 2016 and have a usage of around 1,500 hours each year. Since their introduction, they’ve helped hundreds of remote communities recover from breakdowns on the grid, and consistently provided the power necessary to meet localised increases in demand.

“This was a significant project for us because Eden’s request was so distinct and unique and we had to invest a lot of time and expertise to satisfy all of its needs,” added Mr Pazzi. “As we always do, we showed that Green Power Systems, fuelled by Perkins, can be the right partner for customised projects and sophisticated solutions.”