The company, which currently has revenues of £17.3 million and employs 20 people, launched the product at the recent Clean Energy Live, held at Birmingham’s NEC, and has already received excellent feedback and potential orders on the back of the event. The system, called Powerplus, is the first product CCL Components has built in-house.
Developed in response to growing demand for low-carbon and cost-effective power generation, Powerplus provides off-grid energy in areas lacking access to grid power. It has significant potential in the construction, renewables, defence, events management, and telecommunications sectors, delivering an average fuel saving of 30%-50% compared with conventional power-generation products.
Paul Brooks, Operations Director at CCL Components, said that, while much of its business to date has been in the UK, Powerplus would open up huge opportunities to the company across a variety of international markets.
He said: “Many countries are increasing their focus on reducing carbon emissions and using renewable energy sources – this creates an enormous opportunity for a product like Powerplus, particularly in sparsely-populated geographies or areas with limited access to the grid.
“Although there are a lot of countries that fit this profile, we’ve identified the US and a number of countries within the African Continent as being among the top potential markets. We already trade via our sister company The Powerstore Inc. in Dallas, Texas, which gives us a great platform from which to grow in both North and South America.”
Originally trialled in military applications, Powerplus resolves many of the limitations associated with conventional power generators, such as wasted energy, high running costs and air pollution; while simultaneously enhancing power reliability and reducing fuel consumption. The system can also accept a solar input, meaning it can be used as a completely fuel-free power generator, depending on load profile.
Developed over a 12-month period by project manager, Andrew Lauder, and his team, CCL Components, this year recruited two university graduates to help bring the product to market. The company has also established offices in Germany, which will play a key role in the sales push for Powerplus.
Paul added: “The idea for the Powerplus concept was developed from one of our earlier projects within the defence industry. The movement of fuel in war zones continues to be an issue for the military, as the potential loss of life increases dramatically.
“To help tackle that issue, we developed a battery solution which reduced the amount of fuel required to power forward-operating bases and military locations in war zones. Further development meant that the introduction of solar and wind inputs reduced fuel requirements and increased the amount of clean power hours. Since then we have invested heavily in additional R&D to commercialise the military system, arriving at the Powerplus we have today.
“The product has huge potential and marks an exciting evolution in our business, as we look to develop more of our own systems. We would hope to see significant growth on the back of Powerplus’s launch.”
