Hybrid Tech gen sets launched by Atlas Copco

Atlas Copco has released its new Integrated Hybrid generator sets. As the name suggests, the new units feature both a diesel engine and a battery pack.

The new market entries were developed by the company’s Portable Power and Flow division, which has its headquarters outside Zaragoza, Spain.

Atlas Copco QHS 200 series Hybrid Tech gen set (Photo: Atlas Copco)

Three versions will be available from launch, the QHS 120 S5, the QHS 200 S5 and the QHS 250 T4f. Power output ranges from 120 to 250 kVA.

Engines for the gen sets come from FPT Industrial. The Lithium-ion phosphate battery packs have 60 kWh storage levels.

The Hybrid Tech models can help to achieve considerable savings in both fuel usage and CO2 emissions.

Speaking at the launch event, Marco Gravina, president of Portable Power and Flow division, said: “We want 50% of our business to come from sustainable solutions.”

Atlas Copco stated that if the estimated 200,000 existing 200 kVA or lower diesel gen sets now in operation across Europe were replaced by hybrid variants, it could save 3.2 billion liters of diesel fuel each year.

While the hybrid variants will cost more than their diesel equivalents, it’s put forward that the potential fuel savings could help to balance out total cost of ownership.

Additionally, relying on battery power alone keeps working hours off the engine, allowing service intervals to be longer to further reduce costs.

Marco Gravina, president of the Portable Power and Flow division of Atlas Copco (Photo: KHL Group)

“You can cover your peaks, save on the lows and minimize downtime,” said Sergio Salvador, Marketing and Sales director for the Power and Flow division.

The ECO Controller system is used to manage power output between the engine and battery packs. In the case of the QHS 120 S5, the 120 kVA peak output is achieved using the two sources in parallel.

In addition, the ECO Controller includes a battery state of health check to provide insight into battery management which can help improve longevity.

The fully-integrated hybrid gen sets address a series of challenges related to standard diesel examples. In one case, Atlas Copco found that the average load of a gen set is about 15% of nominal, a power output which can be addressed using battery power.

The company said Stage 3 engine versions of the hybrid sets for the Middle East and Australian markets will be ready in 2027 or 2028.

Atlas Copco has been producing gen sets for a number of years; the first example reached the market in 1994.