Hong Kong start-up Ampd Energy has announced that five construction sites in Singapore will be replacing diesel-powered generators with its advanced, lithium-ion battery as developers and contractors in the country seek to dramatically cut noise and pollution from building activities.
One Holland Village, Far East Organization’s mixed-use development comprising private and serviced residences, offices and retail spaces – currently under construction by Woh Hup – was the first site to deploy Ampd’s Enertainer on 4 October 2021.
The other four sites will be The M condominium at Middle Road and Phase 2 intensification works at BCA Academy constructed by Dragages Singapore, followed by Irwell Hill Residences by Woh Hup and Central Boulevard Towers by Hexacon Construction.
The compact, internet-connected Enertainer energy storage system from Ampd Energy is specially designed to power construction equipment. Currently, most construction companies use diesel generators to drive heavy equipment such as tower cranes, hoists and welders.
“Diesel generators must run continuously and consume enormous amounts of fuel, resulting in pollution and noise that are harmful to the health and safety of construction workers and people living and working near worksites,” explained Ampd Energy.
The Enertainer addresses these issues by reducing carbon emissions by up to 85%, according to Ampd Energy. “It is nearly 32 times quieter than a diesel generator, which means urban construction projects can continue running during noise-sensitive hours. It also eliminates air pollutants equivalent to removing 200 to 400 cars from the road and minimises fire hazards from diesel generators.”
Ampd Energy said its mission is to make the global construction industry emission-free and the falling price of lithium-ion batteries have made it possible. Singapore is its second market after Hong Kong.
“Urbanisation has led to a growing demand for large-scale building projects which have a very negative impact on our environment. We heard the urgent pleas of some contractors and have designed our battery solution for a cleaner, quieter, more efficient and safer energy supply at worksites,” said Brandon Ng, co-founder and CEO of Ampd Energy.
“Singapore is taking concrete and laudable steps to decarbonise transport by actively promoting electric vehicles. We believe it should do the same for construction which lags behind Europe and some regional countries. The old-generation diesel generators at worksites may be less expensive at the start but the toll on the physical and mental health of workers and residents is incalculable.”
Augustine Tan, executive director of property services division at Far East Organization said, “Using Ampd’s Enertainer in the construction process thus far at our One Holland Village site has helped to reduce noise, carbon and other pollutants, and has also helped to better preserve air quality in the area.
“As always, we aim to ensure that the construction of our developments remains sensitive to the needs of the surrounding community, especially in residential areas such as Holland Village. We have been very impressed with the performance of the Entertainer so far and would be delighted to have the opportunity to use it in future sites.”
Yong Derong, executive director at Woh Hup added, “We are constantly exploring innovative products that would aid us in our sustainability journey. We are excited to be the first to partner with Ampd Energy to deploy the Enertainer at one of our project sites and we look forward to the positive changes that it would bring.”
Designed to be a smart and fully automated system, the plug-and-play Enertainer does not require active manpower to manage or refuel the system, said Ampd Energy. It is remotely monitored for any issues, so less maintenance is required, making it cheaper and easier to operate. The system can also be used to collect comprehensive data on site productivity and equipment consumption patterns.
Ampd Energy further pointed out that its Enertainer, while costing more than diesel generators in the short-term, will lead to long-term savings given significantly lower running costs. The container-shaped energy storage system can be rented or bought outright.
The company is also confident that with prices of lithium-ion batteries on the downtrend and more stringent rules ahead for carbon emissions, property and construction firms will embrace electrification sooner rather than later.
Ampd Energy plans to expand its business into Australia and Europe in 2022.
All images: Ampd Energy
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