July 17, 2018

Mobile Power Solutions: How We Help in Military Operations & Natural Disasters

USA Pennsylvania Power Plant | APR Energy

Rapid power solutions are needed for numerous reasons, with two of the most urgent including military and natural disaster applications. Here’s insight into why that’s so, along with an APR Energy case study to illustrate each application and why our power units were selected.

Military Power Solution Case Study

The U.S. Navy needed a rapid power solution for an energy-intensive research, development, and testing program. It also had to be reliable, mobile, and able to perform in demanding environments. After bids were collected, APR Energy was selected in February 2017. APR Energy was chosen because we could efficiently meet their demand for temporary power generation for energy-intensive testing through the use of low-emission generation that could meet strict environmental requirements.

Because of delays with their permanent energy plant, the U.S. Navy needed 20MW of baseload power that could be operational just one month after the arrival of our aeroderivative mobile gas turbines, fueled by natural gas.

Then, a blizzard hit, dumping more than a foot of snow. This happened in mid-March, right when our mobile gas turbine arrived by ship. But, despite this severe weather, the turbine was delivered the following day, and the installation process began immediately. And, even in these conditions, the baseload power was provided on a three-week timeline, with APR Energy meeting the U.S. Navy’s aggressive schedule. Here, you can find more information about our military power solution case study.

Benefits of choosing us for military power include:

  • Reliable and efficient auxiliary power
  • Dedicated power for remote bases
  • Disaster relief capabilities with rapidly deployable power
  • Auxiliary power, needed for forward deployment to new locations and when ships dock in foreign ports Flexible mobile technology
  • Health/safety/environmental leadership
  • Full-service turnkey plants
  • Scalable from 2MW to 50MW+
  • Rapidly deployable power worldwide

Power is often rapidly needed for military applications. When natural disasters occur, response time can be just as crucial.

Natural Disaster Power Solution Case Study

On September 20, 2017, the island of Puerto Rico was pummeled by a direct hit from Hurricane Maria, with this intense storm lashing out with winds of 155 mph when the massive hurricane hit land. The entire island plunged into darkness and, because of its aging infrastructure, this left behind true devastation. Therefore, a need existed for a rapid power module solution that would stabilize the fragile grid and provide generating capacity.

Fortunately, the team at APR Energy had already moved some of our newest-generation GE TM2500 mobile gas turbines to the region as a proactive measure. We also contacted federal and Puerto Rican authorities in mid-September to ensure they were aware of our ability to provide them with an emergency power supply.

Weeks later, more than 90 percent of residents were still without electricity, with the island lacking safe food and medical storage, communication devices and more. On October 12, APR Energy was hired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to rapidly install and operate two mobile gas turbines.

This technology was chosen over smaller diesel reciprocating engines for these reasons:

  • High power density
  • Significantly lower emissions
  • Grid-stabilizing abilities
  • Reduced risk of blackouts
  • Ability to switch from diesel to (lower cost) natural gas once fuel was available

Seventeen days after APR Energy was hired, both units were completely operational. This is one of the fastest mobile gas turbine installations to date. This 60MW plant restored electricity to thousands of structures, including hospitals, schools, homes, and businesses. You can read the entire natural disaster power solution case study to find more information about how our rapidly deployed and installed emergency power supply served as a vital step in the rebuilding of Puerto Rico.

Contact APR Energy for Rapid Mobile Energy Services

If you are in need of rapid mobile energy services, contact us online today. No two situations are the same and we look forward to helping you with your unique power needs.