Cadent är det första samhällsnyttiga företaget som använder batteri-elsystem

The trio scooped the Innovation Award at this year’s Gas Industry Awards, run by the Institute of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM).


They impressed judges with the pioneering Sustainable Vehicle Auxiliary Power System – a state-of-art lithium battery power system installed in some 80 Cadent vehicles, which is enabling the company’s gas engineers to run power tools without using the vehicle’s diesel engine or a separate diesel generator.

Cadent is the first utility to adopt this technology for widescale use, with the batteries installed in some 80 vehicles in the company’s ‘Operate and Maintain’ fleet. The award was the culmination of over two years’ work to tailor the technology to Cadent’s needs, test it and install it in company vehicles for real-life use.

Cadent has already seen a 15% reduction in standing fuel consumption and a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions.

Cadent’s ‘Operate and Maintain’ engineers keep gas installations and apparatus in good working order on the company’s 132,000-kilometre pipe network, which delivers gas to 11 million customers.

Batteriet laddas medan fordonet körs, vilket utnyttjar den ström som skapats av fordonets generator och som annars hade gått till spillo, och är redo att användas när teknikern anländer till sitt mål. Att anamma tekniken är en del i Cadents långsiktiga strategi för att göra sin fordonsflotta renare och grönare genom att minska koldioxidutsläpp och bränsleförbrukning.

Cadent’s Fleet Operations Manager Ian Walker said: “As a company we are aiming to significantly reduce our carbon emissions and help improve are quality.

“The beauty of this technology is that it provides the mobile source of electricity our engineers need to run their power tools but without the noise, vehicle fumes and carbon emissions that come from generating power the traditional way from our vans’ diesel engines or a diesel generator.”

Karl Jones, Head of UK Sales at Clayton Power, said: “To see our partnership with Cadent recognised at a national industry award is testament to our commitment to using innovative technology to tackle avoidable carbon emissions.

“We have a great relationship with Cadent and their forward-thinking approach to making their fleets more fuel efficient and environmentally cleaner is setting a new standard in the energy industry.”

Simon Webb, Bri-Stor Systems Managing Director, said: “This award is a testament to the 2 years of engineering development work that has been undertaken in partnership with Cadent and Clayton Power.

“Collectively we saw the environmental and operational benefits of generating Auxiliary Power System and have taken that idea and turned it in to reality. To be recognised at a National Level for that work is something that we are very proud of.”

Juryn imponerades av Cadents resultat med avsevärd minskning av CO2-utsläpp och bränsleförbrukning. Det störande bullret har också minskat eftersom batterierna är mycket tysta jämfört med ljudet från en bilmotor eller dieselgenerator.