Volvo Penta Powers Gensets for Emergency Backup Electricity at Well Sites in Long Island
Volvo Penta of the Americas
(CHESAPEAKE, Va.) – July 2018 – Volvo Penta of the Americas is supplying diesel engines for generators being deployed for emergency backup power at fresh-water wells across Long Island, New York, under a contract from the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA).
The contractor for the genset upgrade program is PowerPro Services Company, a major industrial generator dealer on Long Island. The Volvo Penta-powered gensets are being supplied by Gillette Generators. The units are mounted in custom-built soundproof enclosures fabricated by Chilicothe Metal.
SCWA is one of the largest ground-water utilities in the United States, supplying fresh clean water to about 1.2 million residences in Suffolk and Nassau Counties from more than 150 well sites. The authority launched a system-wide upgrade of backup power stations in 2017 to ensure uninterrupted supply of fresh water to customers during electric power outages.
“The SCWA contract was competitively bid and awarded in three phases,” explained Frank Navetta, president of PowerPro Service Company. “We worked closely with Gillette to develop a configuration using the Volvo Penta 13- and 16-liter engines. The result was a highly competitive package that met the customer’s detailed specifications. We supplied four 350 kW units for Phase One. Tests revealed that the engines were very strong and reliable in response and recovery, and we successfully bid the next two phases with the Gillette and Volvo Penta package.”
A total of 36 Gillette backup power units have been supplied and commissioned to date under the SCWA program. They include replacements for older gensets at certain sites and new installations at others.
SCWA director of production control, Michael O’Connell, stated in a 2017 press release that the new generators are greener and more fuel efficient than their predecessors, and also significantly larger in capacity, enabling them to run additional wells.
“This is our first large-scale project with Gillette Generators,” said Bill Pacey, acting vice president of industrial sales for Volvo Penta of the Americas. “Gillette started using our Tier 3 13- and 16-liter diesels in their 250-600 kW generator systems in 2016.”
“We have had great success using the Volvo Penta engines in our gensets,” said Charlie Habic, president of Gillette Generators. “They are rugged and reliable and give us a competitive advantage over other products. In addition, Volvo Penta’s comprehensive North American service network is an important reassurance for our dealers.”
About Volvo Penta
Volvo Penta, with approximately 3,500 dealers in over 130 countries, is a world-leading and global manufacturer of engines and complete power systems for leisure boats, commercial vessels and industrial applications. Product offerings encompass diesel and gasoline engines with power outputs of between 10 and 1,000 hp. Volvo Penta is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of heavy trucks, buses and construction equipment.
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For further information, please contact:
Christine Carlson
Volvo Penta of the Americas
Phone: +1 (757) 382 4084
E-mail: christine.carlson@volvo.com
Jim Rhodes
Rhodes Communications, Inc.
Phone: +1 (757) 451 0602
E-mail: jrhodes@rhodescomm.com