AEG Power Solutions Commissions its first Hybrid Power ecopx Installation in New Caledonia and wins a second site with OPT

AEG Power Solutions is a subsidiary of 3W Power (Euronext Amsterdam 3WP, Frankfurt 3W9, ISIN GG00B39QCR01, WKN A0Q5SX)

OPT (Office des Postes et Telecommunications) is the local New Caledonia operator, owned by the local government, and is a long time partner of AEG Power Solutions. In 2010 AEGPS was awarded a major contract including DC Systems and UPS, the maintenance of several of the operator’s sites, and a new power solution for OPT’s very remote wireless station of “Cap Sommet”, on a mountain near Bourail on the East coast.

AEG Power Solutions won the contract by proposing a new power solution for this remote station. As the former installation was powered by two diesel gensets, this meant very high operating costs for OPT due, in part, to the complexity of the maintenance, as the site is only accessible via a cart track or helicopter. To decrease costs and improve the carbon footprint of the installation, the operator was looking for a solution based on renewable energy resources.

AEG Power Solutions ecopx Hybrid power solution was the perfect match for this challenge. It combines renewable solar and wind energy with battery storage and, when required, a stand-by diesel generator. It manages the network site power from end-to-end, from energy generation to energy storage, including load surveillance and remote supervision.

For OPT, the ecopx system installed is a large one. The energy sources comprise a group of solar panels, capable of generating up to 11kW, and a 5 kW wind turbine, plus 2 set of batteries of 3000 Ah. One diesel genset has been kept as a back-up and is started automatically on demand by the ecopx system.


Satisfied with the solution, OPT asked AEG PS to quote for another BTS site near Lac de Yaté, in the south of the mainland and just agreed on it. ecopx solution at Cap Sommet gives impressive savings : CO2 emissions have been cut by 99%, operating costs (Diesel fuel, fuelling and maintenance)have also been cut by 99% and Total Cost of ownership on 10 years should be reduced by almost 70%.
“It’s a major achievement for us because it’s clearly demonstrates, even in quite extreme conditions, the capabilities of ecopx and the benefits such an installation can bring.. Our R&D team has worked with our customer and was able to adjust the system live when we were starting and testing the installation. Demonstrating ecopx benefits is a major step for AEGPS in the Telecom market as ecopx’s unique architecture can really help operators to meet their cost and carbon challenges, explains Dominique Manet VP of the Communication business within the Energy Efficiency SBU of AEG Power Solutions.