Data Centers Cannot Wait for Grid Connections—Aggreko Puts 1MW Battery Storage on Trailers
Grid capacity has not yet been approved, but data center projects cannot remain on hold indefinitely. Aggreko's answer is to put battery storage on trailers and deliver it directly to the project site.
On November 4, Aggreko announced an expansion of its North American battery energy storage fleet with three new products:
- 120kW/120kWh trailer-mounted BESS
- 1MW/1.2MWh trailer-mounted BESS
- 1MW/1.3MWh trailer-mounted BESS
All three products are designed for mobile deployment. They can operate independently, be connected in parallel with multiple storage units, or be integrated with diesel generators, gas generators and renewable energy systems.
Aggreko identifies data centers as a key application, including supplying power during construction and providing transitional capacity when grid connections are delayed or constrained. MW-scale storage is beginning to move beyond fixed sites and become a temporary power resource that can travel with the project.
Three Products, Three Sizes and Different Applications
The smallest product is rated at 120kW/120kWh. It uses lithium iron phosphate batteries and provides a nominal capacity of 123kWh, a usable capacity of 114kWh and a rated output of 120kW.
It is also equipped with a 544A pass-through connection capable of supporting the start-up of large motor loads, including tower cranes. Rather than supplying a data center over extended periods, this smaller system is better suited to construction sites, noise-sensitive locations and smaller off-grid or hybrid power applications.
The other two products are both rated at 1MW. Both support grid-forming and grid-following operation, can be combined with diesel generators, gas generators and renewable energy, integrate HVAC and fire-protection systems, and support parallel operation.
The 1MW/1.2MWh model also uses lithium iron phosphate batteries. It has a nominal capacity of 1.232MWh and a usable capacity of 1.105MWh. Its short-duration output can reach 1.1MW, although this can only be maintained for 10 minutes.
The 1MW/1.3MWh version uses nickel manganese cobalt batteries. It provides a nominal capacity of 1.328MWh and a usable capacity of 1.080MWh. The single-enclosure design integrates HVAC, fire protection and remote monitoring, with an operating temperature range of -35°C to 45°C.
A 1MW Battery Cannot Power an Entire Data Center on Its Own
Aggreko states that the new products can help replace delayed or constrained grid connections. This does not mean, however, that a single 1MW battery can substitute for the grid and power a data center for an extended period.
Based on usable capacity:
- The 1MW/1.2MWh model can deliver full power for approximately 1.11 hours
- The 1MW/1.3MWh model can deliver full power for approximately 1.08 hours
In other words, both products remain roughly one-hour storage systems. They are better suited to short-duration support, load management, equipment start-up, power-source transitions and generator optimisation than to serving as the sole round-the-clock power supply for a data center.
Projects requiring prolonged off-grid operation would still need gas or diesel generators, renewable energy, or additional battery units operating in parallel.
Battery Storage Is Targeting Data Centers' Grid-Waiting Period
Until now, discussions around data center storage have largely focused on UPS systems, battery backup units and fixed, campus-scale BESS installations. Aggreko is targeting a different point in the project timeline: the gap between the start of construction and the point at which sufficient grid capacity becomes available.
During this period, projects require reliable power but may not yet be ready to build a permanent power plant. Mobile battery systems that can be transported, connected in parallel and combined with generators fit directly into this gap.
They function more like movable, rentable power tools. Projects can deploy the capacity they need, then transfer the equipment to another site once the grid connection becomes available.
The product launch is only the first step, however. Aggreko has not disclosed any associated data center customers, deployment volumes, rental prices or operating data.
Whether mobile battery storage can scale in the data center market will ultimately depend on economics. The fuel and maintenance savings compared with diesel- or gas-only generation must be sufficient to cover battery rental, transport and deployment costs. If that calculation works, the period during which data centers wait for grid capacity could become a new market for mobile energy storage.
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