Rolls-Royce and Qinous, a story we’ve heard about before. In fact, we’ve already talked about it here at diesel-international.com. The Berlin-based electricity storage specialist Qinous was been acquired by Rolls-Royce, that announced the 73.1% majority stake. And what happened after that? The renaming of the Berlin start-up to Rolls-Royce Solutions Berlin and the simultaneously expansion to the Microgrid Competence Center.

Rolls-Royce and Qinous
Battery Production Inside Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce and Qinous: the Microgrid Competence Center Berlin

«With its solutions, our Microgrid Competence Center in Berlin is making a major contribution to decarbonizing energy systems and, with immediate effect, is now offering our customers a comprehensive solution portfolio. It ranges from simple storage solutions to complex microgrids that intelligently combine battery storage with renewable energies, and with diesel or gas gensets,» explained Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce’s Power Systems Division. «We are convinced that microgrids are among the optimum solutions for tomorrow’s environmentally friendly, high-efficiency power supply systems. With Qinous, we are expanding our microgrid expertise and combining the dynamics of a start-up with the security and reliability of a large corporate group.» 

Andreas Görtz, Vice President of the Power Generation business unit

«The microgrids complete our product and solution line-up for distributed power generation. From battery storage and intelligent electronic control systems to diesel or gas gensets – we’re not merely a supplier of modules from the MTU product range, but rather we’re offering our customers tailor-made total solutions featuring things like solar and wind power generation,» confirmed Andreas Görtz, Vice President of the Power Generation business unit.

Rolls-Royce and Qinous
Battery Production for Microgrids Rolls-Royce

 And Cordelia Thielitz, head of Microgrid Solutions business unit at Rolls-Royce

«Because Rolls-Royce itself develops and produces key components such as the battery storage facilities, the microgrid control system and the generator sets, we possess in-depth knowledge of their features and characteristics, thereby giving the customer a turnkey total solution that is integrated perfectly from both a technical and economical perspectives,» said Cordelia Thielitz, who heads up the Microgrid Solutions business unit at Rolls-Royce. «We’re seeing great global demand for microgrids in a wide range of application areas,» added Thielitz when asked about the market prospects for this business segment. In countries such as Germany and the US, the microgrid solutions are particularly attractive for industrial applications, among others, as a result of their CO2 reduction and secure energy supply credentials. Microgrids are offering grid and power plant operators new sources of income and opportunities to save money. Used as self-sufficient, distributed power grids, these power systems enable remote mines or villages without public grid access to cover their electricity needs in a way that is both economical and sustainable.

«Under the Rolls-Royce umbrella, we’re seeing new, previously unattainable opportunities opening up, helping us realize our vision of delivering sustainable, climate-friendly and environmentally friendly power supply solutions. We’re proud of having turned this start-up into a competence center for a global company, and are looking forward to using our knowledge and experience in battery storage to help fully-featured microgrids become a success,» said Qinous founder Steffen Heinrich, who remains Managing Director and shareholder of Rolls-Royce Solutions Berlin.

 

Highlights

FPT Industrial: let’s go, XC13

The XC13 surely sounds agnostic in FPT Industrial’s unofficial nomenclature; it comes, indeed, with a tripartite certification: Euro 6E (winking an eye at the upcoming Euro 7), methane gas and also biofuel, with a link to hydrogen. Andrea Abbà, FPT’s product marketing manager, told us about dialogui...

Related articles

Allison Transmission @ IFAT

At IFAT in Munich, Allison is presenting transmissions for alternative technologies to the Diesel ICE, from fuel-agnostic propulsion solutions to Allison eGen Power fully electric axles for municipal and refuse collection vehicles