Southern Water required a permanent standby generator solution for a wastewater pumping station in Kent following the impact of Storm Eunice.

During the storm, the site was left without mains power until P&I Group supplied and installed a temporary 80kVA road tow generator. Due to the sensitivity of the pumping station and the importance of maintaining operation during power failures, the site was later identified as strategic for a permanent backup power solution.

P&I Group’s technical sales team attended site to carry out a design review and HAZOP study. This included reviewing the pump loads, starting philosophy and future load requirements to calculate the most suitable generator size.

The turnkey solution included the generator, associated civil works, an automatic transfer switch, mains isolator, cable connection box and full mechanical and electrical installation.

The pumping station had already experienced a power loss during Storm Eunice, highlighting the need for a more resilient permanent standby solution.

Because wastewater pumping stations play a critical role in protecting local infrastructure and the environment, the generator system had to be correctly sized and designed around the site’s operational requirements. The starting characteristics of the pumps, future load demand and integration with existing site systems all had to be carefully assessed.

The site was also located in a sensitive countryside area, meaning the installation had to consider its visual impact and minimise disruption to the surrounding environment. Care also had to be taken to reduce the knock-on effect of works on nearby dairy farming operations.

P&I Group developed a tailored standby generator solution for the site.

Following the technical assessment, the initial request for a 60kVA generator was reviewed and found to be insufficient for the customer’s current and projected requirements. After assessing the pump loads and future demand, P&I Group concluded that an 88kVA generator would provide a more suitable long-term solution.

The generator was specified with a canopied design and a low-noise acoustic performance of 80 dB(A) at 1m at 75% load. Due to the sensitive countryside location, the canopy colour was amended to Holly Green to help the generator better suit its surroundings.

The specification included a range of options to support performance, monitoring and resilience, including an electronic governor, PMG, cable link box, auto-start pre-wiring, fuel level display, measuring card, battery charger, engine pre-heating resistor, common alarm contact, audible hooter, low fuel protection, adjustable earth protection, alternator heaters, AGM battery upgrade and fire drop valve.

P&I Group also fitted a cable connection box and built the automatic transfer switch in-house. The full electrical and mechanical installation was completed to WIMES specification, including integration with the site telemetry system.

The project provided Southern Water with a permanent standby generator solution designed around the specific operational needs of the wastewater pumping station.

From quotation to completion, the tailored project took eight months to deliver, with the full installation and checks completed over five days. A team of two experienced P&I Group engineers completed the installation, with AR Banks supporting the generator delivery to the customer base.

The completed system improved the site’s resilience against future mains failures, helping protect critical wastewater operations during severe weather and power disruption.