'Enertainers' Phasing out Gensets at Construction Sites

The battery revolution is moving from the highway to the construction site. Diesel generators are being swapped with massive lithium-ion batteries called Enertainers to power the giant cranes that erect high-rises. Gammon got the batteries from Ampd Energy Ltd., a Hong Kong startup founded in 2015. It delivered its first unit about a year ago, and now has shipped 17 to seven different companies using them on 14 sites. Another 16 units are set to be delivered by the end of the year. Others are looking at electrifying construction sites as well. Until recently, battery-powered construction would have been too expensive a proposition. But lithium-ion battery costs have plunged 90% in the past decade. Ampd sells and leases the Enertainers, which are filled with enough lithium-ion, nickel, cobalt and manganese batteries to power 25,000 iPhones. While it didn’t disclose the price, Chief Executive Officer Brandon Ng said that based on electricity and diesel prices in Hong Kong, it’s generally cheaper to lease and use one of its battery units than a traditional generator. Maintenance costs are also lower as the batteries have fewer moving parts. Electrification also can theoretically reduce greenhouse gas emissions at building sites, depending on how the power is produced. Construction usually represents just a fraction of the carbon footprint compared with the production of the cement and steel needed for the structures.