We continue to grow in the data centre sector

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According to the experts, few sectors have such a promising future as data centres.

Their evolution goes hand in hand with that of the internet and the online world is unstoppable. Therefore, the need for companies, organisations and institutions to store a huge amount of data is growing and that is precisely the function of data centres or DPCs.

In a world that is becoming increasingly digitalised and where Artificial Intelligence has come to revolutionise everything, security is becoming more of a priority than ever. In this respect, our sector has also evolved a great deal because digital transformation and digitisation processes must be accompanied by ironclad security.

Distributed energy is vital here because if there is a failure in the network, even for a few seconds, a disaster may occur. To avoid this, generators are a fundamental piece of the puzzle. Reliability and sensitivity are two compulsory characteristics of generator sets for data centres, which need to be certified by a very demanding legislation from ‘The Uptime Institute’ that classifies equipment into four levels: Tier I, II, III and IV.

Always made to measure

Genesal Energy has spent years positioning in the data centre sector, offering our customers products that stand out for their exceptional quality. Turnkey projects custom-designed and manufactured with very precise characteristics. Because the road we travel with the customer does not end with the delivery of the equipment, it continues with maintenance so that there are no surprises, so that everything is under control.

One of our latest Data Centre projects was a built-in switching and special soundproofing for 65 dB(A) at 7 metres generator set.

Features

  • Engine Speed Electronic Governor
  • Special soundproofed canopy providing65 dB(A) at 7 metres
  • Integrated ATS with independent Control panel
  • 1350 L fuel tank with a 110% Leak tray
  • Fuel heater avoding ATEX atmospheres while functioning
  • Fuel transfer system
  • Fire detection system

Taking care of our staff: how we pay for glasses or contact lenses for employees who suffer from eye strain due to the use of screens at work (visual fatigue)

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Genesal Energy will pay its workers for the glasses or contact lenses they need in order to curb eye strain, a very common problem among people who use digital devices intensively and continuously.

Acuerdo gafas trabajadores fatiga visual

The measure, a pioneering one here in Spain, is possible thanks to an agreement signed with Alain Afflelou, a leading optical services company that has launched Plan Protect, an innovative programme that gives companies the chance to take care of their employees’ eye health. This means that Genesal Energy workers will be the first to benefit from this programme that includes premium checkups aimed at assessing eye health.

  • Workers will benefit from premium checkups and blue-light-filtered lenses to protect their eyes from harmful radiation emitted by computers and other digital devices.
  • The initiative is pioneering in Spain and is being carried out thanks to an agreement reached with Alain Afflelou.
  • Genesal Energy is the first company in Spain to join the Plan Protect for eye health.

As a result, people with eye strain will be offered a solution tailored to their profile and needs, such as glasses or contact lenses, which will be funded by the company. Genesal will also pay for contact lenses or glasses with blue-light filters or screen protection, designed to protect eyes from overexposure to the LED light emitted by electronic devices and which can cause symptoms of eye strain such as headache, red eyes, dry eyes, tiredness, or sleep problems.

Genesal Energy’s decision to sign up for Plan Protect is further proof of our commitment to protect the visual health of the hundreds of people in our workforce, helping improve their quality of life inside and outside the workplace.

Staff well-being: a priority

After signing the agreement, Julio Arca, CEO of Genesal Energy, explained that the measure is part of the innovation plan that the company is applying across the board to all its processes and departments, including the area of workplace health and safety. “The well-being and health of our workforce is a priority for us, as well as being a commitment to ESG“, said Arca.

“In the industrial world“, he added, “we’re very mindful of hygiene and ergonomics at our workshops, but we also care for employees whose main work tool is a screen. As a result, we see this partnership with Afflelou as a long-term initiative, with a view to preventing and minimising the impact of digital work on health“.

Meanwhile, Eva Ivars, CEO of AFFLELOU, pointed out that this type of initiative helps companies take care of their employees’ eye health, “which is fundamental due to all the negative effects of continuous exposure to screens, as they have an impact on their productivity at work and, above all, on their quality of life“.

Genesal Energy supports sustainable mobility and becomes shareholder of Velca

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We have started our way into sustainable mobility becoming shareholders of VELCA, the Spanish start-up which manufactures electrical bikes & motorbikes and is currently increasing its capital.

Genesal Energy entra en el accionariado de Velca

This decision marks a milestone in our business strategy. ‘We keep following the guidelines in our strategic plan, GREENESAL’, say company CEOs Julio Arca and Jose Fernandez.

Genesal diversifies and builds intelligence on sustainable mobility and responsible investment in start-ups. VELCA is going to be the first company joining our, coming soon, Emerging Business Launcher.

Business Launcher and Incubator

Firstly, our incubator will allow Genesal Energy to enter the capital of emerging, like-minded companies, facilitating the investment to develop their projects. A kind of patronage.

Then launching their production stage providing industrial support and facilities will allow these companies to focus and devote all their resources to the business development.

Sustainability and Innovation will be the main criteria for choosing projects’ sponsorship. Both factors are central to our road map. Not by accident, our Energy Transition Plan was the pioneer establishing the first Energy Transition Professorship in Galicia hand in hand with the University of Santiago de Compostela. Not to mention our unique integral photovoltaic building façades.

Genesal Energy entra en el accionariado de Velca

Industrial Investment

‘We have the ability to incubate and launch companies, for instance, providing production lines outside the regular Genesal Energy shifts’, states Arca.

Bringing production home, to Galicia

Nowadays, VELCA’s headquarters are located in Madrid, but their intention is moving operations to Galicia. ‘From minute one I was determined to bring VELCA to Galicia. It’s now just closing down some details with the Administration but I feel profoundly grateful with the Galician entrepreneurs and its firm commitment to this project’ tells VELCA’s founder and CEO, Galician-born, Emilio Frojan.

Currently, the company hires production lines in China or Poland where they manufacture the 75% of the vehicle that is finished in their San Fernando de Henares workshop in Madrid.

Innovation & Energy Transition, our challenges for 2023

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Sustainability is not a new concept for Genesal Energy. When almost no one in the industry was paying attention to this concept and it was considered a passing trend we were already taking it very seriously and starting a detailed work plan aimed to obtain the highest energy efficiency in all the projects we were involved in. This commitment to clean energy and the environment has been put into practice and we have reached the end of 2022 with our homework done.

A number of accomplished projects and the launch of initiatives as the Energy Transition Professorship, first in the region, hand in hand with the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC).

Energy Transition Professorship

2022 has been the start of great adventure full of possibilities. In less than a year, the newly created Professorship has awarded its first prizes to the best Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees Final Thesis. Prizes that will be awarded annually to those students who excel in the Energy Transition & Sustainability fields.

There are a number of challenges for 2023 and the environmental guidelines are clear. Our will is to keep our 2022 track and achieve the best results possible. We will accordingly renew our compromise with the 2023 Agenda and The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), core to our business strategy. Implementing new detection & prioritisation methods of those more relevant for our company.

Energy Transition Plan 

This will also be the year in which we will galvanize our Energy Transition Plan, at corporate, production and sectoral levels. The fight against climate change is a long-distance race, a moral obligation in which words are not enough. We need to take action.

During 2023, we will keep on researching and developing sustainable solutions. More and more efficient for our customers and for our very own company.

We have just commissioned our HQ in Bergondo photovoltaic building façade. Fully operational now and an example of where we want to go in the mid and long term.

Greenesal

In our quest for sustainability, in 2022 we went beyond and we move to action in the shape of specific short, medium and long-term initiatives. Greenesal encompasses that ambitious and meditated program born to change things. We truly believe that 2023 is going to be its finest hour.

Reducing the carbon footprint of our premises, organising specialisation courses, conferences, seminars, expert-gatherings, promoting Public Private Partnerships in R & D & I are just part of a long list of measures envisaged for the next 12 months.

Data centres and the health sector

Proactivity is one of the principles of our company. We need it to obtain quality, unique, personalised and environmentally friendly energy. The development of projects for two green hydrogen plants, the design and manufacturing of a genset for a benchmark recycling plant or the equipment designed to guarantee power supply in the new National Mint in Madrid are part of the solutions developed by our engineering department in 2022. All of them, part of Genesal Energy’s tailor-made generator sets. Carefully supervised from design to manufacturing and later maintenance. Added value to our well-known mark of distinction.

In our roadmap for 2023, sectors with great growth prospects such as the data centres, renewable energies, healthcare and Defence are strategic.

Likewise, and always looking for competitive strength, our Technological Centre for Distributed Energy (CETED) will have a key role in the manufacturing of top quality generator sets both for sale and rental, this latter a range with a great future and a growing asset in our Mexico and Peru subsidiaries.

The manufacturing of personalised generator sets for communications & transportation infrastructure will be also a priority alongside with all those projects intended to enhance the clean energies.

Last but not least, for a company which was born almost 30 years ago with the dream of consolidating an international presence, the search for new markets and the strengthening of its projection are primary objectives for this new financial year characterised by sustainability and energy transition challenges.

Masters in special applications. 96 generator sets for Telecommunications

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Genesal has just supplied a total of 96 generator sets specially designed for the telecom sector

They all have been tailored to meet our customer’s needs: robust equipment capable of supplying extremely reliable power in telecom stations alongside with renewable sources of energy as solar panels and storage batteries.

Backup power is always needed in telecommunication centres and stations. When the projects are carried out in countries where the industry is still developing or the infrastructures are not the best, they become essential.

Which was the aim of this large-scale project?

To guarantee the operation of the stations, every single unit was designed and manufactured in our Bergondo HQ, in A Coruña, complying with all regulations and, of course, our quality standards. The objective was clear from the very beginning: providing reliable energy for telecom stations located far from urban areas where power supply is, in most cases, not available.

The generators in detail

We designed and manufactured the generator sets following the customers’ requirements and according to our top-quality standards taking into account its final purpose. Furthermore, they were delivered within the set time established, essential to the accomplishment of the project. Seriousness is one of our core values.

The 96 sets are 30-33 kVA canopied with the main features

  • 1000 Liters fuel tank. Base frame integrated. Enabling an autonomy of 131,5 hours at a 100% load operation. A leak tray was also fitted, capable of collecting any leakage from the tank or the engine. Our customer didn’t want to take any environmental risks.
  • The engine was fitted with an electronic speed governor to provide a stable frequency independently of the load applied. Also, an engine preheating system was fitted to ensure start-up at any temperature.
  • The alternator was applied a special anti-corrosion treatment for salty and/or damp environments.
  • To extend maintenance intervals and guarantee correct operation under any circumstance, an automatic oil feeder was installed with a 10-liter additional oil tank that ensures an optimal oil level at all times.
  • Coating & Painting according to C4H specifications.
  • Remote maintenance. SNMP cards were installed for remote communication with the sets. This advanced system allows faster incident management. Apart from this system and considering that there might be communication breakdowns, free-potential contacts were fitted for remote alarms and 24/7 surveillance. Providing an excellent service to the operator was fundamental for our customer.

All cabins were designed to optimize their loading in 40ft HC containers.

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.