Bergen, Norway – 8th February 2022

Power supply continuity is a challenge for any island in the Caribbean but after Hurricane Maria in 2017, resilience became paramount for major businesses with key operations in Puerto Rico.

The SAMPOL group signed a purchase agreement for two new energy-efficient power plants, supplied with Bergen engines, for the life-science industry in Puerto Rico.

The plants are powered by four Bergen engines’ B36:45L 3.3MW medium speed (720rpm) units which are known for their low emissions and low fuel consumption. The design of the plants is based on an innovative hybrid-renewable microgrid solution which will integrate solar photovoltaic technology, batteries, and baseload cogeneration for maximum use of renewable and cleaner energy.

Both sites will be operated as Combined Heat & Power (CHP) plants. These two cogenerations will produce high efficiency power, where the excess heat will be recycled to produce steam and hot water, covering factory thermal needs, and avoiding the use of fuel in traditional factory boilers.

Video Courtesy of SAMPOL

Additional advantages of the design are:

• • • Exceptional Energy Efficiency. Baseload power generation of medium-speed Bergen Engines with additional utilization of waste heat, allowing the plants to save more fuel.
    • Reliability. SAMPOL’s design ensures power continuity – even in a disaster or disruption.
    • Reduced Costs. High efficiency and reliability mean major cost savings for the customer
    • Reduced Emissions. The solution will reduce 21,500tn of CO₂ and contribute toward a carbon footprint reduction of 45%. This microgrid solution is able to support fast and frequent stop-starts and manage dynamic load response for grid balancing effortlessly and is also capable for island operation.

Nick Firtonea, Business Development Director SAMPOL Group, said: “SAMPOL has designed a unique, reliable, resilient, sustainable power solution, using Bergen Engines medium speed technology. With this type of power plant solutions, we aim to grow and support manufacturing capability on a global level”.

Theo Lorentzos, Head of Sales for the Americas at Bergen Engines: “We are delighted that SAMPOL have selected four of our 6-cylinder natural gas engines, to provide reliable baseload power alongside renewables and in a microgrid application. With market-leading efficiency and low-cost maintenance, we can maximize the through–life project cost for our customer”.

The project is set to become the reference model for future developments in the Caribbean Region and marks Bergen Engines’ entrance into Puerto Rico after many years in North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

About Bergen Engines

Bergen Engines produces medium-speed liquid and gas fueled engines and generator sets to a broad range of land-based, commercial marine, and naval applications. The Bergen name is a watchword for quality and reliability in its field.
The tradition of engineering in Bergen, Norway, dates to 1855 when the original company Bergen Mekaniske Verksted (BMV) was founded. In 1946, the company built its first diesel engine and has since commissioned over 7,500 of its iconic liquid and gas fueled engines. Around half of them are still in operation today; such is the quality and reliability of a Bergen engine.
From 1999, Bergen Engines AS was owned by the British aerospace and defense group, Rolls-Royce plc. On 31st December 2021, the company was acquired from Rolls-Royce by the family-owned engineering and industrial group, Langley Holdings plc, and is now part of the Power Solutions division.

 About SAMPOL

SAMPOL is a multinational group of Spanish capital, leader in engineering solutions applied to different public or private sectors. The company was founded in Mallorca in 1934 and currently carries out its activity in three main lines of business:
– The projection, construction and operation of energy projects, power generation plants, cogeneration, renewable energy, microgrids and energy saving solutions.
– The realization of comprehensive installations in hotels, emblematic buildings, airports, etc.
– The development of technological solutions oriented towards digitization and creation of software tailored to the client.
The group has a permanent presence in Spain, Italy, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Aruba, Peru, Canada, and Cabo Verde, throughout its more than 85 years of history it has developed international projects in 22 countries and 4 continents. In addition, SAMPOL Group operates the 100% renewable energy marketer SAMPOL Energy.