Volvo Penta Introduces Portable BESS for Temporary Power

Volvo Penta, part of Volvo Group and a specialist in power solutions such as engines and propulsion systems for a wide range of industries, has introduced a new battery energy storage system (BESS) product that uses its solutions. The company partners with OEMs, using its engineering and grid-operability expertise, to offer these energy storage solutions.

This new storage system is a compact, energy-dense product that comes in a portable container that can be transported on a trailer without a lifting crane or heavy transport vehicle. The company says no license is required, and the solution can be operated as a plug-and-play system.

The product uses lithium-ion batteries with a nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) cathode. Volvo Penta offers the subsystem that includes battery management, thermal management, power distribution, and integration. Therefore, it does not supply a standard battery pack; instead, it engineers the subsystem to meet operational needs. However, an individual battery pack has 90 kWh of capacity, with total system energy depending on the final BESS. The final system uses active liquid cooling for thermal management.

Volvo Group is involved in the development of battery cells and packs through its investments in respective manufacturing companies for a secure supply chain. The storage solution is built with a high C-rating, which describes how quickly a battery can charge or discharge. Because this latest solution is energy-dense and designed for portable applications, a higher C-rating supports faster charging and discharging.

This solution supports temporary power needs for events such as music festivals, areas with limited grid capacity, critical infrastructure, and military operations. The company also offers it as a rental off-grid power solution when power demand is high.