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Growth comes with, for example, a new production hall. But how do you ensure this in an area where the electricity grid is overloaded? How do you overcome grid congestion? Van Ommen, an internationally operating specialist in metalworking, also encountered limitations. Expanding seemed impossible for a long time. However, thanks to the shared solution from Hollander Techniek and Tibo Energy, space was created. As a result, the company has a new hall and can now even save energy.
Smarter and more efficient. More precise and more sustainable. Where machining can simply be improved, Van Ommen proves to be the designated party. The company in Beekbergen, Gelderland, combines over seventy years of experience with, among other things, the tools of its own brand Phantom. Customers can order these on Van Ommen’s online platform, while a test center guarantees the quality of the tools. Continuously innovating, searching for new materials and techniques: this is what keeps the metalworking company ahead in a demanding industry.
The challenge
Van Ommen has no shortage of ambition. The new production hall has now been realized and growth is possible again. Yet it did not look that way for a long time. Bastian Hoonhorst, advisor at Hollander Techniek, still remembers the first conversations with Van Ommen well. “The company has a contracted capacity agreed with the grid operator. No more could and can be added to that, the capacity on the electricity grid in and around Beekbergen is simply full.”
Expansion was therefore impossible for a long time, as is the case for so many other companies, Bastian emphasizes. “We all have to get rid of gas in order to limit CO₂ emissions. But anyone who then goes electric will face the problem of grid congestion.” Approximately 12,000 large business connections are currently waiting for expansion throughout the Netherlands. “Then we are talking about companies that want to go further. They want to grow, electrify and become more sustainable. All of that is now at a standstill.”
The partnership
According to Bastian, the energy transition must be practically feasible above all else. A vision shared by Tibo Energy, which, with its energy management system, gives companies a grip on costs, emissions and capacity. Central to this is the AI algorithm Alice, which allows users to dynamically and flexibly control energy flows. In addition, Tibo Energy makes it possible for partners to calculate the case using a digital twin. This is a virtual copy of a physical system, which you can use to test business cases, make bottlenecks visible and set up a realistic configuration for the EMS.
“There is still a lot to optimize – not only behind, but also in front of the meter,” says Jeroen Althusius, co-founder of Tibo Energy. “That optimization frees up capacity, which may allow a company to install that new machine. And not only that: the company can also steer more efficiently on emissions and costs.” The approach delivers clear added value, in which Tibo Energy and Hollander Techniek have found each other. “There was an immediate click between our companies,” says Jeroen, “the business continuity of customers is paramount for both of us.”
Bastian: “Tibo has everything in one package. They bring the software expertise, we bring the implementation power. And yes, then it will work.”
The project
In Beekbergen, the partners carried out their first joint project at Van Ommen. As a starting point, the new situation of the company was simulated in a digital twin. “We mapped out the customer’s needs, linked the required power to it and put that information into the software,” says Bastian. “The current energy profile and the simulated future consumption created a peak that was too high for the grid contract. That’s why we added solar panels to the digital twin, although we only solved the problem in the summer with that. Although there was a surplus of solar energy then, we still had a shortage in the other period of the year.”
How could Van Ommen get through the winter months without any worries? The solution was found in a battery supplied by Hollander Techniek. Intended to temporarily store energy and make it available for smoothing peak consumption in the winter. “With the new hall, Van Ommen also has a new spot welding line,” says Bastian. “That is a large installation that causes significant power peaks. You want to be able to absorb those, especially on days with little sunlight, which is partly possible thanks to the battery.”
The result
The power of the simulation translates into exact control. This is also the case at Van Ommen, which can continue to grow at its existing location and at the same time has made the production process more sustainable. The battery ensures energy savings, which are further optimized with the help of the predictive Tibo software. “Van Ommen is covered in terms of energy use and management for at least the next fifteen years,” says Jeroen. “That is also to the credit of the company itself, which has dared to invest in these assets.”
The project in Beekbergen shows how a state of emergency can be turned into a competitive advantage.
Jeroen: “With a solution like the one at Van Ommen, companies can become more sustainable and reduce their energy consumption thanks to lower CO₂ emissions. Its value extends beyond just an answer to grid congestion. This is a solution for optimization, efficiency and structural improvements.”
Take a look how De Groot & Slot in Broek op Langedijk achieved a similar transformation, turning grid congestion into an opportunity with smart energy storage and management.
