Turnkey standby generator project for critical public infrastructure

The Challenge

A large public authority needed a new 500kVA standby generator with bulk fuel storage capable of covering the whole site’s critical infrastructure. The work had to be carried out on a live, operational site alongside its existing HV/LV transformer, with power continuity maintained throughout construction.

The Solution

Solent Power supported the specification of the generator to cover the whole site’s infrastructure, then delivered the complete electrical and mechanical installation — including temporary generation to keep the site powered throughout the works.

• 500kVA Himoinsa HFW-500 T5 standby generator, sized to cover the whole site’s infrastructure
• 800A Socomec automatic transfer panel
• 10,000L bulk, bunded fuel storage tank with static fuel recirculation system
• Fire shut-off valve fitted to the generator, shutting down the engine fuel supply in the event of an engine fire
• Fuel tank installed using stainless steel twin-walled pipework with leak detection
• Tank instrumentation and controls integrated into the centralised generator controller
• Remote monitoring configured via a connected gateway
• Provision of an Authorised Person to control switching and isolations
• Inspection and testing of the site’s existing HV/LV transformer

Project Delivery & Logistics

Delivering this project meant managing far more than the generator itself. Careful planning was built in from the outset to protect this live, operational site from any loss of supply. All electrical works were carried out during out-of-hours periods, with a temporary hire generator supplied and connected to maintain power to the site’s critical loads throughout — so normal site operations were never put at risk.

Bringing the 500kVA generator and 10,000L bulk fuel tank into position required carefully planned lifting operations, coordinated around the site’s access and operational constraints. Fuel delivery to the bulk tank was arranged and sequenced to support commissioning, and the fuel system, electrical installation and control integration were specified and installed in-house by Solent Power’s own engineering team — from the tank’s twin-walled pipework and leak detection through to the transfer switch, generator controller and remote monitoring gateway.

It’s this full, wrap-around capability — specification, electrical and mechanical installation, fuel systems, controls integration and ongoing support, all delivered by the same in-house team — that Solent Power brings to every project. On generator projects, it’s rarely the generator itself that causes problems: issues far more often arise in the fuel system, the electrical installation, or the integration between the generator, transfer switch and monitoring controls. Managing all of these disciplines in-house, backed by decades of hands-on technical experience, is what let this project come together without disruption to a live, critical site.