New business models are enabled by Alfen Elkamo’s products
JAKOBSTAD-BASED Elkamo had decades of experience within electricity distribution when it in 2018 was bought by the Dutch company Alfen. In addition to gaining bigger muscles to flex, the renamed Alfen Elkamo now also offers new products and solutions for the ongoing energy transition. To its Dutch parent, the company provides a strong foothold on the Nordic market.
“Elkamo’s main products have been low-voltage switchgear for industrial customers and prefab transformer substations, which we deliver to power distribution companies. As Alfen Elkamo, we now also offer charging points for electric vehicles as well as energy storage solutions”, says Seppo Tupeli, CEO of Alfen Elkamo.
ALFEN ELKAMO delivers fully integrated, turn-key energy storage systems. These consist of modular standard units, which can be adapted to each customer’s needs. A seamless integration with the grid is made possible by the company’s extensive background and products in electricity distribution. The batteries themselves are sourced from the best suppliers on the market.
“We can guarantee operational functionality for years. Our energy storage solutions have a lifetime of at least 20 years, and we offer distance monitoring, by which we can quickly intervene if we ever detect a problem”, explains Tupeli. Energy storage is used in applications where energy is needed for a shorter time. This can, for instance, be at music festivals, as back-up power for data centres or at ultra-fast charging stations for electric vehicles.
ENERGY STORAGE is quiet and environmentally friendly. It provides a safe way to stabilise fluctuations in the grid caused by renewable energy sources, and therefore also opens new business opportunities in energy trading. Tupeli gives an example of this new business model from the Hague, where solar power was combined with energy storage and EV charging points:
“The Hague football stadium installed solar panels on its roof and our EV charging stations in the stadium parking lot. The panels feed electricity to the EV chargers, but by themselves their capacity quickly runs out during game days; therefore, our energy storage was also connected to the system.This way, there is enough power during home games and surplus solar power can be sold directly to the grid or stored and sold as a reserve.”
