Kilmarnock South Commissioning
Discover how Zenobē’s Portable Power team used commissioning experience and battery expertise to develop an alternative solution to traditional commissioning.
Replacing several oversized diesel generators on a major construction site
108,000 litres
of diesel avoided (98% reduction)
284,000kg
of CO2 avoided
£147,000
net savings to date
Since December 2024, Zenobē has worked with Select Plant Hire to support a major new construction site with the deployment of three advanced PowerSkid battery systems, to provide clean, efficient power to four tower cranes, replacing several oversized diesel generators. The hybrid setup combines on-site battery storage with off-peak grid charging to meet the site’s dynamic energy demands. The rollout of the battery systems followed a phased approach, gradually increasing as site infrastructure and crane operations ramped up.
The challenge
The original generator-led site set-up would have consumed over 108,000 litres of diesel over a seven-month period, resulting in 284,000kg of CO2 emissions.
The multiple generator setup was operationally complex, with site teams managing several units that required regular refuelling and AdBlue replenishment, adding unnecessary risk and logistical overhead to the project.
The diesel generators were inefficient and often operated underloaded, leading to poor fuel efficiency and issues with the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).
The Camp Hill site encountered delays in accessing a temporary grid supply, which created an urgent need for an interim power solution during the early phase of works.
The solution
Zenobē’s Portable Power units combine battery storage with either generator or grid power, depending on availability. The portable batteries charge during off-peak hours and discharge on demand to support crane operations efficiently.
To date, the hybrid battery system has delivered 7,800 hours of runtime, compared to just 146 hours of runtime by the diesel generators, cutting generator use by 96%. In more recent months, the system achieved 100% grid and battery operation, with no diesel generator use at all.
The outcome
The lifetime and monthly performance figures demonstrate the significant environmental and financial benefits of the hybrid set-up at the site to power four tower cranes.
Efficiencies achieved to date: 108,000 litres of diesel avoided (98% reduction); 284,000kg of CO2 avoided; £158,000 in diesel cost savings; and £147,000 net savings to date.
Monthly performance snapshot (May 2025): 19.93MWh of energy delivered; 31,000 litres of diesel avoided; 84,000kg of CO2 avoided; and £43,000 of monthly net savings.
The project continues to demonstrate the effectiveness of Zenobē’s portable battery systems in large-scale construction environments. By supporting four tower cranes with three battery units, the project has shown strong results across different operating conditions and power supply scenarios. The flexible, phased deployment model is proving both scalable and repeatable, offering a clear path forward to future low-emission construction projects.
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