Regardless of the type, all power stations have one major limitation in common and that is the long time it takes for one to be constructed. A new concept by a US firm, however, has found the solution- meet the first ever pop-up power stations made of shipping containers.
The concept of “pop-up” anything is always super exciting. A pop-up restaurant, a pop-up fresh produce or flea market, or even a travelling circus, they all appear over night and bring this incredible feeling of having a chance to see something new, unexpected and incredible.
The US energy company APR Energy, is among the first to take this incredible concept to a whole new level. They decided to develop pop-up gas power stations out of shipping containers, which can be constructed at low cost and at any location in a matter of a few months.
Each container, or better referred to as a pop-up power station, contains a gas generator, which can produce 1.5 (MW) of electricity. At any given location, APR aims to “park” around 67 of them, so that the average output sums to around 83 MW (as a few generators are usually maintained or rested). This power can serve the modest needs of as many as 6 million in certain parts of the world.
Soon after the idea was developed, the company managed to commission pop-up power stations to more than 25 countries around the world. These have been found particularly useful in developing countries or post disaster regions, where grid energy is seen as an incredible luxury.
The so-called ”fast track” power, which made APR Energy famous around the world, is a concept that we might see growing in the coming years. Yes, the pop-up generators are not as economical and efficient as, let’s say, one huge modern gas turbine, but the efficiency of the units can provide a ‘quick fix’ to governments that find it difficult to manage the ever-so-growing demand for electricity.
Image (c) APR Energy
