Powering electric tower cranes, hoists and other types of electric construction equipment is going to become increasingly sustainable, thanks to Cranepower’s CP-300 UPS. Luke O’Brien, Head of Sales for Titan Crane Power explains how quickly the Australian construction sector has adopted this new technology.
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“We’ve been working with the Cranepower team for approximately 12 months. Titan Crane Power hosted an official launch event in November 2023. Since that launch, we have been inundated with inquiries. Market uptake has been wonderful, which is really pleasing.” said Luke.
“Increasingly, we are seeing the construction sector moving towards environmentally sustainable construction methods. This includes a move away from the traditional diesel generators which are heavy in carbon emissions. Since November, we’ve brought across four units and there are another 48 in the pipeline moving forward,” he said.
Luke explains the lead time for projects and how he works with construction companies on future projects.
“The industry gives you time to plan. Construction companies are tendering for projects coming up in 2025 where they are looking to incorporate sustainable power solutions and Titan Crane Power is certainly providing those solutions with the CP-300 UPS.
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The CP-300 works by buffering the intermittent peak loads typical of cranes and hoists, converting them into smaller, more manageable average loads (32A or less). This eliminates the need for large diesel generators or expensive transformer installations on the construction site. Engineered with the latest power conversion and battery technology, the CP-300 packs a serious punch with its 300kVA rated output, powerful enough to supply large tower cranes and personnel hoists. Packaged into a rugged, stainless-steel enclosure with integrated filtration and IP65 ingress protection, the CP-300 is designed to survive the harshest construction sites while supplying clean, silent, zero-emission power.
The CP-300 is a drop in, plug and play low CO2 Power solution that offers a range of benefits.
“We are in a fortunate position where we are able to work closely with Titan Cranes & Rigging which operates a significant fleet of 140 plus electric cranes – which is quite a significant slice of the market. Currently Titan Cranes & Rigging is transitioning all of its diesel generators across to electric units,” Luke said.
“The high levels of interest are also a result of the fluctuating cost of diesel. This is a significant variable when you are costing projects, because you can’t determine the pricing from week to week. With Cranepower CP-300 units there is a comfort in knowing there are no variables throughout the project.”There are considerable commercial benefits from the CP-300 unit compared to traditional type diesel generators, says Luke.
“The CP-300 is equivalent to 1 x 300kva generator, however, the unit has an output of 440amps. With a 300kva generator you would not put more than 300amps of electrical machinery on it. This is to avoid a lag, or a massive volt drop at the top end due to startup current draw, causing the machinery to fault or the generator to cut out.
“The CP-300 is not affected by startup current providing effortless peak power, meaning most of the time the 1 x CP-300 can replace 2 x 300kva generators. This is providing companies with great commercial benefits both financially, as well as knowing they are doing the right thing environmentally,” he said.
Luke goes on to explain how the Cranepower CP-300 units have been performing and the feedback he is receiving from customers.
“The units have been performing exceptionally well. The remote data logging provides a great insight into how the units are performing in real-time, which means the project manager or construction manager can have access to this which takes a reading every 10 seconds and records a range of useful information. This includes email alerts such as- input power is lost, e-stop is pressed, low battery when it reaches 50% and the list goes on.”
“One of the key benefits is that the units are feeding information back to their laptops or their phones and they don’t have to monitor the cranes as they would have done previously. When reviewing the project, they can examine the data and the insights which may help when pricing new projects. It is a real game changer when it comes to this technology,” he said.
Thomas Pagano, Project Manager, Coronation Property, discusses his experience with the Cranepower CP- 300.
“We were experiencing a multitude of disruptions and problems with the diesel generators we previously had powering our high-speed twin hoist set. After learning about the CP300 Battery unit at the launch in November, we decided to incorporate it into our job in Parramatta’s CBD. Not only were we impressed by the power the unit provided, but there was also no noise or fumes, plus it was small (in comparison to a 300KVA Gen) and it provided us with constant readings on our output. During a blackout on site, the battery kept powering the hoists for over six hours. We were very happy with the CP300 and we will certainly be using it again on future jobs, Thanks to Luke and the Titan Crane Power team.”
Luke highlights more key benefits of the Cranepower CP-300.
“Obviously, key benefits include the reduction of emissions and the size and the manoeuverability of the unit is a major feature as well. When you look at the traditional competitor of a diesel generator, it is typically the size of a freight container weighing six to seven tonnes. The Cranepower CP-300 weighs 900 kilos and it’s 1.3 metres cubed. It’s a small agile piece of kit which you can shift around the site where and when its needed.
“Also, in the construction sector, builders have been tasked with the upgrade of power grids. When there isn’t enough power or the grid hasn’t got the capacity to power the amount required by the construction company, it’s pushed back onto the construction company to upgrade that grid at a cost of anywhere between $250,000 to $500,000.
“They don’t need to do that anymore because the input into these battery packs is so low, it’s 32 amps and the output is 440 amps, so they can just get a couple of these units on site and they don’t need to pay that massive amount of money upgrading the grid,” he said.
“We are really excited about the opportunities the Cranepower CP-300 presents to the construction sector and as we strive for a more sustainable industry, we can see significant opportunities for the product,” said Luke.