We provide power for the Al-Andalus, one of the most luxurious touristic trains in Europe

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The Al-Andalus has seven Suite-coaches, five of them built in France during the 1920s, with capacity for 74 people and it is 450 metres long, as a 150-storey skyscraper.

Traveling throughout the South of Spain onboard the same coaches used by the British Monarchy in the last century is a luxury available to few. It is the Al-Andalus, one of the most luxurious trains in Europe. We, at Genesal Energy, have designed and delivered a last-generation emergency power system for it.

Comfort, elegance, and spaciousness are the main features of this means of transport from the good times of the Belle Epoque. These days, the amplest train in the world luxury trips around the Spanish rail network offering a service equivalent to a 5-star Hotel.

Why generator sets are essential in trains?

Most of the Spanish national rail network is electrified, trains travel connected to a catenary. However, at certain points in the routes, the power supply is insufficient for the train consumption.

This is why every train must include a generator carriage, that works as a conventional stationary generator set, guaranteeing continuous power supply in case of insufficient power supply or electrical failure.

What did our customer need?

A turnkey project. A comprehensive renovation of the generator carriage.

Accordingly, we installed other ancillary services as medium voltage switchgear and a rectifier. Given that the rail network works with DC power, the train transformers adapt the voltage to feed the different services, from air conditioning to hi-fi, etc.

This is how we did it: ‘In place’, silent and powerful

We undertook the project at Santa Justa Station, in Seville. Home base of the train. Our engineering team travelled South to study the case and take all the needed measurements for the renovation. Later, another team from our HQ in La Coruña, carried out the renovation works and commissioning of the new generator set. Our people are our most valuable asset.

The project meant refurbishing the generator carriage of the train, replacing two obsolete sets from the 1950s which, apart from being very difficult to service, produced very low power and high emissions with a last-generation Stage V 700 kVA set fitted with particle filter, AdBlue injection and medium voltage generation. It was a complete renovation of the structure, from the walls’ soundproofing to the installation of air inlets and outlets. Fitting an exhaust system, a new fuel racking system from an existing fuel tank, switchgear cell and a DC rectifier alongside the complete electrical installation of the carriage.

We are very proud of the successful accomplishment of this project. Once again proving that we are the number 1 manufacturer in Spain when it comes to special projects. Our portfolio of projects and the level of satisfaction of our customers back these words.

Features

  • Volvo Stage V engine.
  • Automatic fuel racking system from carriage tanks.
  • AdBlue tank.
  • 2.400v AC medium voltage alternator.
  • Medium voltage switchgear cell.
  • 3.000v DC rectifier.
  • Control integrated in carriage’s system.
  • Rockwool soundproofing panels for low noise emissions.
  • Roof-integrated air outlets.

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Emergency power for one of Scotland’s most sustainable recycling plants

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The project was made-to-measure, which is essential in this kind of plants that are not capable of being put into operation through the conventional public electricity grid.

We participated in the construction of one of the most modern and sustainable municipal waste treatment plants in Scotland – it transforms non-recyclable municipal waste into clean energy – through the design, manufacture and supply of a customized generator set. The manufacturing process was carried out after carefully studying the project, analysing every technical aspect of the future plant until the right solution to guarantee the electricity supply at all times and in any situation was found.

Thus, once the analysis was carried out, at Genesal we designed a Black Start medium voltage generator aimed to feed a motor that turns the main turbine, which is used to start the turbine after a programmed shutdown. Besides, the generator is able to directly supply medium voltage power (11,000 V).

Medium voltage on demand

It is possible for our medium voltage generators to incorporate the transformers for electrical measurements in the alternator’s own connection box. Likewise, we can install external transformers by means of medium voltage cells, which can be also special, as for instance a genset’s earthing neutral busbar grounding or switchgear with an automatic breaker for protection. This is the case of the generator chosen for the recycling plant: we integrated the switchgear in a separate room inside the soundproof container itself including a cable connection point prepared for the customer to easily connect the cables.

Moreover, precision is a rising value in recycling plants of these characteristics as the waste is processed by gasification, and the gases are then used to power a gas turbine.

Considering the abovementioned circumstances, the generator set was designed in such a way to function as a starter for the plant’s gas turbine and also as an essential emergency supply in the event of a power outage.

Rain and cold, two key factors

On the other hand, being a recycling plant located in Scotland, it was necessary to consider not only the typical technical peculiarities of such kind of facilities, but also the climatological ones, as they greatly condition the choice of any generator set. In this case, the plant is located on the country’s coast, in an area where rainfall is constant throughout the year (on of the highest in Europe) and the average temperature easily reaches 0ºC in winter.

Considering this climate profile, at Genesal Energy we opted to manufacture a generator set that was capable of starting and working at full capacity even in these difficult cold and rainy conditions.

Committed to the environment

The recycling plant project is part of Genesal Energy’s commitment to promoting sustainable projects and the use of clean and renewable energy sources. Our adhesion to the 2030 Agenda a few months ago is one more example of our support for the actions that promote the fight against climate change in the energy sector.

Features

  • 3,000 L fuel tank installed inside the container including leak sensor.
  • Real-time consumption monitoring.
  • Medium voltage switchgear inside container.
  • Control panel in indoor air conditioning room.
  • Air inlet and outlet attenuators to guarantee a noise level of 85 dBA@1m.
  • Motorized louvers to ensure air conditioning inside.
  • Fire dampers. Manufactured with an intumescent panel to seal in case of fire.
  • Integrated fire protection system, including detectors, alarms, and CO2 discharge according to the British standard.
  • Soundproof panel, with RF-60 specifications, to guarantee the genset’s fire resistance.
  • Upper air inlet with water retention and decanting system for genset’s air intake, maintaining a safe IP with the generator in operation.
  • Drip tray inside the generator to collect any liquid spill.

A wind farm in Baja California desert, Genesal Energy’s new commitment to clean energy

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Baja California is one of the Mexican states with a strong focus on renewable energy, and one of the latest examples is a wind farm located in the desert of Baja California Sur.

This large scale project – more than 100 million dollars’ investment – will also entail a revolution in the infrastructures of the area: 20 kilometres of roads and over 20 kilometres of medium voltage overhead and underground networks will be built.

This project is a turning point. It means a before and an after in the lives of the inhabitants of a region with a great tourism potential and a constant growth that for years has needed a robust electricity grid according to an energy demand that does not stop increasing. The future wind farm will respond to this requirement in a clean and sustainable way, avoiding the collapse of the current system.

Genesal Energy participated in this project through the design, manufacture and supply of four generator sets, two of 640 kVA soundproof type, one of 462 kVA open type and one of 125 kVA soundproof type.

Fossil energy sources

Our client needed emergency power for the lifting and switching substations, as well as for the wind farm’s collection network, so the four generator sets were designed as per such requirements.

The wind farm’s commissioning will not only improve the quality of life of Baja California’s people, but will also mean a change in the energy model in the area, as in this state – unlike most of Mexico – power generation comes mainly from fossil sources, which is not usual in other regions.

Besides, this project represents a new challenge for our engineering team, and consolidates the leadership of our subsidiary in Mexico, which is increasingly present in the renewables sector. At Genesal Energy we have recently formalized our commitment to the environment with the achievement of four of the SDS included in the 2030 Agenda.

Over the last years, at Genesal Energy we have reinforced our focus on clean energy, a market in expansion in which we believe. In the case of Mexico, both its privileged climate and the Administration’s support makes the country an ideal place for the development of the renewable energy market. Two representative case studies are ‘San Matías’ (Baja California) and ‘Tres Mesas’ (Tamaulipas) wind farms, along with other international projects we carried out in countries such as Oman, Dominican Republic, Peru and Spain.

A wind turbine, a Genesal generator and a black transformer in an arid Mexico's zone

Features

All the units have been designed according to the CFE W4700-10 standards, and include the below features:

  • RAL 1021 yellow paint, in compliance with CFE norms.
  • DNP 3.0. communication protocol.
  • Third party inspection of the FAT procedure.
  • Spare parts according to CFE specifications.
  • Base frame integrated fuel tank allowing 12h autonomy at full load.
  • Winding heaters.
  • 24V start-up.
  • Space heaters and thermostat in panel.
  • Single mode optical fiber.
  • Dual port fiber switch.
  • Special adaptation of switches for remote opening and closing.

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