21st January 2025
HZB Enhances BESSY Infrastructure with New UPS System
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), a leading research institute advancing materials science and technologies for a climate-neutral energy future, has completed a major upgrade to its 10kV uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system. At the heart of HZB’s work is BESSY II, a state-of-the-art synchrotron radiation source that generates ultra-bright X-ray light for cutting-edge scientific research.
In early November 2024, following four months of intensive and well-coordinated collaboration among project teams, the new UPS system was successfully commissioned.
The system, based on UNIBLOCK® UB-V technology with POWERBRIDGE™ kinetic energy storage, delivers a total capacity of 6750kW. This critical infrastructure ensures continuous protection for the HZB campus, shielding it from power fluctuations and short-term outages at the 10kV voltage level.
The importance of this upgrade was underscored during the commissioning phase, as researchers highlighted the importance of reliable power supply in enabling the uninterrupted operation of BESSY and other key facilities. The temporary operation without UPS protection during the transition period emphasised just how vital this infrastructure is to HZB’s scientific mission.
This project also marks the end of an impressive chapter: the original UPS system, installed in 2000, had provided over 200,000 hours of service across 25 years. Its replacement reflects HZB’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of operational reliability and research excellence.
Aerial view of BESSY II at the Wilhelm-Conrad-Röntgen Campus of HZB in Berlin Adlershof © HZB/Dirk Laubner
About Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
HZB is one of Germany’s leading research institutions, dedicated to the development of innovative materials and technologies supporting the transition to a sustainable and climate-neutral energy supply. HZB operates BESSY II, a third-generation synchrotron light source, which attracts researchers from around the globe seeking insights into materials science, energy conversion, and storage. With its focus on cutting-edge research and collaboration, HZB plays a critical role in addressing some of the most pressing scientific and technological challenges of our time.
About Piller
Piller power conditioning and backup technology can be found in major mission-critical power applications globally. For many of the world’s banks and financial institutions, governmental agencies, data centre operators, telecoms networks and airports, as well as hospitals, semiconductor and pharmaceutical manufacturers, Piller equipment is the go-to technology.
Piller was founded by Anton Piller in Hamburg in 1909. Today the company is headquartered in Osterode, near Hanover in Germany, with subsidiaries across Europe, in the USA, India, Asia and Australia. The company employs around 1,000 people worldwide.
In 2016 Piller acquired the Austin TX kinetic energy storage producer, Active Power Inc.
Piller Group GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK engineering and industrial group, Langley Holdings plc and is part of the Power Solutions Division together with Bergen Engines AS and Marelli Motori Srl.