As a technical service organisation, Pon Power frequently has jobs where the engineers can install a Cat engine without being disturbed and with plenty of space. However, there are also situations where it all becomes a bit trickier. This was the case with the University of Amsterdam. A combined heat and power unit (CHP) located in a small basement with limited access and space had to be replaced with an emergency power generator. This posed an interesting logistical problem.

“One of the few advantages of the corona pandemic was that there were hardly any students on the campus at the time of implementation”

Technic Projectmanager
UvA

ZEF PATTINAJA

REPLACE THE CHP

The university location in question was the Roeterseiland campus in East Amsterdam. Zef Pattinaja is the Technical Project Manager there. He said: “We have our own power plant for the Roeterseiland campus in the basement of one of our premises. It consisted of three CHP units among other things, including a Cat G3516 which had been supplied and serviced by Pon Power. This installation also served as a power backup for a number of computer and server rooms. Because we saw a possibility to optimise that emergency power supply, we decided to replace that CHP installation with a Cat 3412 emergency power generator with a capacity of 750 kVA.”

reuse the enclosure

The old Cat CHP unit was installed in the basement in a soundproof enclosure. With a view to saving money and for sustainability reasons, the university wanted to reuse the enclosure. Arjen Hilbers, Account Manager Energy Solutions, Pon Power explained: “It meant that our engineers had to remove part of the enclosure and then had to dismantle the old CHP unit within the enclosure in parts. There wasn’t even a metre of space anywhere around that installation, so this job, which was always going to be complicated, had to be carried out in difficult and restrictive circumstances on top of that.” 

through the basement hatch

After the old CHP unit had been dismantled, the various parts had to be hoisted out through the basement hatch, a job carried out by the Mijdrecht-based company Total Energy Services. That too was a daunting task. Zef Pattinaja explained: “This work was hampered by the presence of heat ducts for one of the other buildings. It meant that we had to partially dismantle that heat system and temporarily remove those ducts. This required careful planning. One of the few advantages of COVID-19 was that there were hardly any students around on the campus at the time, so that we did not need to inconvenience any students or members of staff.”

“It’s nice to see a project implemented as planned”

Technic Projectmanager
UvA

ZEF PATTINAJA

Good riddance

After the Cat G3516 had been fully removed, the new 3412 – in parts – entered the basement via the same hatch. There it was assembled within the old soundproof enclosure. And because the new 12 cylinder version takes up less space than the old 16 cylinder version, the diesel tank of the new emergency power generator could also be installed inside the old enclosure. Zef Pattinaja: “Good riddance, right?”

UNIVERSITY

AMSTERDAM

a contact who is always there

The new emergency power supply will soon be commissioned after its last synchronisation. As the technical project manager, Zef Pattinaja is satisfied looking back: “The cooperation with Pon Power and their partners went well from start to finish and according to schedule. Rob Ruhé, the Pon Power Project Manager, was always there when he was needed, to keep the overview and to keep everything on track. That was nice. It is great to have a contact who is always there. And it’s nice to see a project implemented as planned.”