ESTechnologies’ origins are in the civilian maritime market where the company delivers sustainable power and propulsion systems.
In 2013, ESTechnologies decided to extend its expertise to providing sustainable energy solutions on land, and started to design and build solar, wind, and diesel hybrid power systems for both civilian and military purposes. The company’s sustainable hybrid power plants use the sun and wind as primary energy sources, with conventional fossil fuel as a back-up only.
ESTechnologies’ sustainable hybrid power plants enable military camps in off-grid environments to save large amounts of fossil fuel.
Hybrid power reduces diesel consumption
Using less diesel leads to substantial financial benefits, but the operational advantages are even more important to the successful outcome of a military mission.
Advantages include having a lower dependence on a timely fuel supply, less need for protection and logistical forces, and a reduced environmental burden on the camps and mission areas due to significantly minimised carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Finally, it makes more combat power available for achieving the primary objectives of the mission.
Innovative concept of hybrid power plants
Through a large solar field, the sun’s energy is converted into electricity, which is used to power the camp during the day and simultaneously charge the ESTechnologies’ energy storage system that powers the camp at night.
If there is not enough sunlight, a back-up diesel generator will automatically start charging the energy storage.
ESTechnologies hybrid off-grid power plants are unique in two ways.
Firstly, the systems are based on an innovative concept for energy management, smartly combining technologies for industrial conversion, data collecting, PV, wind and generators, as well as energy storage technology.
Secondly, ESTechnologies’ hybrid power plants use an extremely efficient and innovative system for the dynamic storage of solar, wind and fossil energy: the ESTechnologies lithium polymer battery.
Dynamic, reliable and safe batteries for heavy-duty military use
ESTechnologies’ lithium polymer battery has a very low weight per kilowatt-hour, is extremely dynamic, needs no maintenance, has a long lifespan, and meets very high safety requirements.
The dynamic flexibility of the battery allows the power management system to charge and discharge the battery at any time, which is crucial for meeting the power demand of the supported facilities when required and in the most sustainable way.
The long lifespan and the high safety stem from the built-in battery management system, which real-time balances every single cell, each battery, and each string of batteries.
This makes ESTechnologies’ sustainable energy systems highly reliable and an economically sound investment.
ESTechnologies deployable power module in Mali
ESTechnologies’ hybrid power plants are ready to be deployed, and this service was successfully adopted by the Dutch Army.
Dutch engineers used ESTechnologies’ deployable power module (DPM) in the UN-mission MINUSMA in Mali, during climatically adverse circumstances.
The DPM contains a 273kW energy storage and an energy management system, coupled to a 1,600m² solar field and a generator farm.
The energy management system automatically decides whether solar or conventional energy is required for powering the camp and charging batteries.
ESTechnologies’ complete service concept
Remote monitoring of the MALI system from the Netherlands enabled ESTechnologies to collect data from the project.
Together with the Dutch Army, the company examined the findings to gain more complete knowledge and experience of using Hybrid technology, and for reaching Nato’s Zero Footprint Goal as soon as possible.
This way of working is fully in accordance with ESTechnologies’ service concept, which not only comprises designing, building and installation, but also operator training, maintenance, and assistance in the broadest sense.