A senior representative from a major manufacturer of portable power solutions for quarries provides an overview of the company’s range and future growth plans in this part of its global business.
Julio Tello knows the importance of quality lighting and portable power solutions for quarries and mines. The equipment manager tells Aggregates Business that he’s delighted with the performance of six Atlas Copco HiLight V5+ lighting towers acquired by his company, Peru-based JRC, specialists in the development and construction of mining and infrastructure projects. Tello says the premium units are ensuring continuous, efficient operation at JRC’s Iscaycruz mine, where altitude conditions are extreme.
“It’s very tough to survive in this area, both for personnel and equipment. For a time, we worked with light towers from another manufacturer, but the experience wasn’t very successful. The three-cylinder engines would shut down after two hours of work, and the lamps would break easily,” says Tello. He adds: “The acquisition of Atlas Copco HiLight V5+ lighting towers with two-cylinder engines has completely changed the situation. It’s a radical solution.”
Atlas Copco’s comprehensive range of portable power solutions for industries, including quarrying and mining, comprises QAS+, QAC Twinpower and QES range diesel generators; Modular hybrid EPH range hybrid generators; ZBC and ZBP energy storage systems; BI+4 hybrid light towers, B7+, H7+ LED light towers, MS4 solar light towers, and MI+6 light towers.
“One thing that makes Atlas Copco unique is that we have developed the concept of portable plug-and-play microgrids, which we call our power ecosystem,” says Sergio Salvador, vice president of sales and marketing at Atlas Copco Portable Power.
“We have portable generators that produce reliable electricity and comply with regulations across all markets. We also have a diesel generator range, proven over many years, with multiple features. We also now have solar-powered mobile electric generators and energy storage systems ranging from 30 kilowatt to 1 megawatt. Our energy storage systems can be scaled up, and our power management microgrids enable customers to run multiple power generators, either all supplied by Atlas Copco or a mix of manufacturers. This creates extremely resilient quarries and other sites, with power generated where it is consumed. By going hybrid in their energy usage, including solar, quarrying and other customers can lower their power costs. You can also significantly reduce your work site’s carbon emissions.
“We invest a large part of our R&D [research and development] spend in developing our portable power solutions, and we have a large team of expert technicians who support customer sites. Our plug-and-play microgrids also include remote site monitoring and two-way communication. This allows us to know exactly what is going on onsite, advise customers, and remotely do upgrades to the microgrids, optimising system efficiency.”
Salvador says that while portable power solutions are already deployed across many small and large construction sites, including infrastructure megaprojects, Atlas Copco sees growth potential in their usage in quarrying and mining applications.
“It’s a journey that is now at the beginning, and it’s one of our main future focuses,” he stresses. “Quarries are ‘live animals’, so to speak. Your working areas move over the years, and plug-and-play microgrids offer flexibility. You can move your portable power setup and resume work in just one hour, or in four hours with a solar-powered system. A contractor working at a quarry for two to three years, say, can also do this. Many quarries are also in remote areas, and it can take a long time for authorities to approve requests for additional power from public grids. That electric power supply may also not be reliable. The cost per kilowatt is also going up, partly due to high demand from data centres. Now, it’s important not to have to rely on anyone for your power supply.”
Salvador says it takes 12 to 24 months for quarrying and mining customers to recoup the cost of their investment in Atlas Copco portable power systems. “A 24/7 operating, hybrid power system can last for 10 to 20 years,” he adds.
“We are constantly working on our portable power systems and will continue to expand our energy storage and generator offerings, including hybrid standalone generators.”
Quarrying and mining customers can see Atlas Copco portable power microgrid setups being demonstrated at company sales hubs, including those in Spain and the USA. “We also do pilot tests on customer sites. Our solutions are worldwide.”
In 2024, Atlas Copco launched the ECO Calculator, an upgraded Power and Light sizing Calculator version of the earlier ‘Light the Power’ calculator. The innovative online tool is designed to assist professionals in the construction, mining, quarrying, rental, and events sectors in accurately determining the optimal sizes of power and lighting equipment for their projects.
Atlas Copco’s ECO Calculator features an Energy Storage System Module, a significant enhancement that recommends the optimal combination of a generator, light tower, and energy storage system. It provides a detailed cost comparison between conventional standalone generators and hybrid solutions, facilitating cost-effective decision-making.
With this new module, the ECO Calculator enables performance simulation, allowing users to assess potential savings and optimise low load management for a more efficient energy setup. The tool also recommends the most appropriate generator size based on specific load requirements, ensuring that power tools and other equipment operate at peak performance.
“We have hundreds of [varied industry] customers using it, and they love it,” says Salvador. “Many contractors, for example, like to see the fuel savings they can make by running a hybrid power-based microgrid. ECO Calculator now also offers real-time calculations that compare our customers’ existing portable power systems with potential upgrades.
“Atlas Copco has been leading the [multi-industry] transformation to hybrid [portable power supply] for many years. By integrating multiple power sources into our hybrid plug-and-play microgrids, we can save our customers up to 90% on their [single fixed] power usage cost.”
