An Aggreko trial for a Sir Robert McAlpine project has delivered an 85% reduction in emissions across five live tower cranes.

The savings, which were made from October 2022 to January 2023, came from powering on-site tower cranes with smaller generators, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and more sustainable fuels.

Overall, estimated total efficiencies across the cranes equalled over 234 tonnes of emissions and over 87,300 litres in fuel – equivalent to an 85% reduction in consumption.

Batteries and hybrid solutions are a key strand of Aggreko's recent £150m investment in its Greener Upgrades fleet, aimed at making cost and sustainability improvements via reduced emissions.


Commenting on the partnership, Martin Mitchell, Plant Procurement Manager, Sir Robert McAlpine, said: "We have been working closely with Aggreko for a while now as part of our shared goals to deliver long-term emissions and energy reductions on our projects. The fact that we've now realised an 85% reduction in fuel and emissions across multiple live cranes is fantastic news."

Reflecting on the results of the trial, Tom Adlington, Sector Sales Manager at Aggreko Europe, said: "The typical nature of power consumption on construction sites means peaks and troughs are common. However, this also means generators are often oversized due to the misconception of incorporating greater power to meet start-up demand. In addition to adding a BESS solution, it was also crucial to select power solutions that would optimise energy usage through right-sizing.

"Construction is and always will be vital to the UK economy, so it is crucial it is carried out sustainably. New technologies and processes must be part of the solution to optimising energy usage, which is why we continue to research, test and invest.

"The success of this project provides a valuable example of challenging conventional thinking in the supply chain on the solutions and technologies required to reduce carbon footprints in line with net zero emissions targets set out in legislation."