United Rentals adds crane battery system
19 March 2024
US hire giant United Rentals has added battery energy systems for tower cranes to its North American equipment fleet.
Developed in partnership with Termaco, an industrial battery specialist, the system is configurable up to 500kW and operates alongside a generator to deliver reliable power to support tower crane operations. It minimises generator run time by storing energy in batteries and running on battery power whenever possible.
For smaller applications, the battery unit can be charged by solar panels for an emission-free solution, enabling the generator to be downsized and reducing run time, while still meeting peak power demands, says United Rentals.
“Battery energy systems for tower cranes provide a great application of practical sustainability on the job site by helping contractors address their economic and environmental goals,” said Larry Worthington, Region Vice President, Power and HVAC, with United Rentals.
Award Construction, a contractor based in Alberta, Canada, has used the battery energy system to power an 8-ton, 70m-tall tower crane at Riverbank Landing, a 20-acre planned mixed-use community being built in Edmonton.
At the project, Award went from running a 300kVA Tier 4 diesel generator 24 hours a day to power its tower crane, to charging the battery energy system with a 100kW generator for just two and a half hours a day and operating the crane solely on battery power.
Generator run time was reduced by 91%, which resulted in a fuel and emissions reduction of approximately 80%.
United Rentals has an integrated network of 1,504 locations in North America, 38 in Europe, 23 in Australia and 19 in New Zealand. In North America, the company operates in 49 states and every Canadian province.
