PowerOasis Power Solution Optimizes Solar Energy And Delivers Optimum Value In Papua New-Guinea
FG Wilson's international telecommunications prowess has been reaffirmed by the role its generator sets played in helping a major telecoms operator make huge operational cost savings on a solar hybrid power solution across Papua New-Guinea.
PowerOasis, a leading supplier of telecoms power solutions for remote and off-grid sites, successfully delivered the innovative project on behalf of Digicel - one of the region's largest telecoms operators. Close monitoring of the project during the first year of operation has revealed an operational cost saving of over $40,000 and a 72% reduction in diesel fuel consumption.
The solar hybrid power solution involved the installation of 25 FG Wilson generator sets - a combination of P11-6S (11 kVA) and P16.5-6S (16 kVA) - all of which included integrated 1,000L fuel tanks and extended service engines - helping to reduce maintenance requirements and increase service intervals to 1,000 hours.
John O'Donohue, CEO, PowerOasis, commented:
"The key objective of PowerOasis's hybrid power solution for Digicel was to significantly reduce overall operational costs - and choosing FG Wilson generator sets was key to successfully achieving this. We know through experience that FG Wilson generator sets are relatively easy to install and major cost savings were made at the outset as it took less than five days to deploy the site, rather the 12-15 day deployment time which is often the case.
"Given the extreme remoteness of a lot of the Papua-New Guinea sites and the challenging nature of the terrain, durability was a vital attribute for the generator sets, which is a hallmark of the FG Wilson product. The 1,000L fuel tanks on which the generator sets are mounted played an important role in ensuring their reliability and in protecting against fuel theft, which can be a major burden on costs for off-grid projects.
"Digicel's specifications required a solution which would significantly decrease fuel consumption and achieve more cost-effective maintenance intervals. Through the hybrid power solution we have managed to deliver a project which has required no more than five site maintenance visits and diesel refuels per year - sites such as these can often require a site visit every month.
"We benchmarked the generator sets operating individually at the sites against them operating as part of a hybrid solution and the cost savings delivered by the hybrid solution are vast. The initial outlay can be greater, but there is no doubting the major savings that can be enjoyed in the long-term.
"For operators rolling out new networks in remote markets, the need for reliable, efficient power sources has become a critical factor - the difference between profit and loss. PowerOasis hybrid solutions, using FG Wilson generators, are ideal for rapid site development."
With a peak power load of 1.5 KW required at each site, the generators, batteries, solar arrays and rectifiers are sized and configured to meet operational and autonomy hours. The battery charge cycles are managed to comply with manufacturer recommendations and achieve battery life of at least four years. The remote monitoring of the sites is proactively managed by Digicel, with PowerOasis providing back-up support.
Stephen McKinty, General Manager of FG Wilson, commented:
"The Papua New-Guinea project is a high-profile demonstration of our well-established and internationally-renowned expertise in the telecommunications sector. The robust and resilient design of generators for the telecoms industry is paramount to their performance, especially if situated in remote locations. Our renowned product availability was an important reason for FG Wilson generator sets being chosen for this project.
"Our generator sets deliver power every hour of every day in even the most remote and harsh telecom sites, which is why customers throughout the world turn to FG Wilson to meet their needs in this sector. Choosing FG Wilson means lifecycle costs you can count on, combined with the guarantee of expert local support which comes with every project we help deliver.
"The PowerOasis solution optimizes the energy captured from sunlight which helps lead to cost savings in diesel fuel, reduced servicing overheads and prolonged generator life. Improvements in site availability leads to further business benefits, including reduced subscriber churn and increased revenue generation. The direct costs savings result in a rapid return on investment in the solar upgrade to the generator/battery hybrid solution."
FG Wilson has been providing reliable power to the telecoms sector for over 47 years. As part of its commitment to ongoing product development, FG Wilson has recently developed a suite of new options to meet the specific needs of the telecoms sector. These include a range of base fuel tanks with various high capacity options, single or double wall, fuel anti-theft features and single point lifting.
Through a global network of 370 Dealers, FG Wilson successfully serves and supports customers all over the world. With the back-up of FG Wilson's Applications Support Team, and Technical Support Centre, Dealers can meet any power requirement, no matter how complex.