Kier has trialled a fuel-saving technology that it found succeeded in cutting diesel consumption of an onsite generator by 41 per cent.
The trial, staged with procurement partner Sunbelt Rentals, assessed a flywheel energy storage system provided by technology firm Punch Flybrid. Kier measured the impact of the system on a static tower crane used at its Shakespeare North project on Merseyside (pictured, above).
Kier said its objectives for the trial were to cut carbon emissions and pollutants. In the tests, the crane’s 325kVA generator was replaced by a smaller 150kVA generator fitted with the Punch system. The study’s findings projected an annual fuel saving of 9,000 litres, equivalent to a 23.5-tonne reduction in CO2 emissions. It also suggested that the size of the generator might be further reduced to 100kVA.