Projects with Power
Automation technology for INTILION
Do I need a photovoltaic system on the roof? Should the new car be an electric car? And what should I do with my old heating system? These are thoughts that many of us are currently grappling with. The prerequisites are different, and so are the solutions. Only the goal should be the same: safe and clean energy available at all times. This is exactly what INTILION AG has written on its banner, or rather battery. INTILION AG is a company with a young history and fresh ideas. In 2019, INTILION was spun off from the HOPPECKE group of companies.
The premises on Wollmarktstraße in Paderborn reflect the spirit of the company. A large room with many desks arranged in small groups, various meeting points and, in the middle, the open kitchen. INTILION fosters open cooperation and quick exchange among each other. The company is a supplier of energy storage solutions. It relies on sustainable and intelligent solutions for industry in the form of stationary and energy storage systems for wind power or photovoltaic plants, for example - and on Blumenbecker as a partner.
‘The Blumenbecker team quickly got to grips with the new field and showed that they understood energy beyond the technology.’
Boris Langerbein, Chief Innovation Officer, INTILION AG
The first meeting
In 2021, INTILION was looking for a reliable switchgear supplier through a call for tenders. After the first contact shortly before Christmas between INTILION and Thomas Schmitz, Head of Key Account Management at Blumenbecker, everything went very quickly: getting to know each other, negotiations, offer and finally the order in spring 2022.
Why did INTILION choose Blumenbecker? ‘The selection process was complex. Do we want to commit to a new partner? Is the market up to it and is Blumenbecker a good fit for us? These were all questions we dealt with intensively,’ explains Head of Purchasing Christina Rüsing. Quality, production and local proximity were the decisive criteria for Blumenbecker. And that was despite the fact that Blumenbecker was entering new territory with the industry.
‘Energy management, i.e. electricity that is not consumed where it is generated, is completely new territory for Blumenbecker,’ says Schmitz, ‘and a challenge in terms of sustainability that we are happy to take on.
With success, as Chief Innovation Officer Boris Langerbein from INTILION confirms: ‘The Blumenbecker team quickly got to grips with the new field and showed that they understood energy beyond the technology.
It's the potpourri of features that convinced us.’ Rüsing can only agree: ‘Cooperation, expertise, the flexibility to respond to special requests and of course the results. The all-round package fits 100 %,’ she explains.
The first major order
After the starting signal, Hall 4 at the headquarters in Beckum was converted into the new ‘INTILION Hall’ and provided enough space for the first order: 180 switchgear units. It is not only thanks to the available space that Blumenbecker can support INTILION's growth. ‘We are looking for partners who will grow with us. We can't rest on what we have. The market is shaping itself and that's how we have to act,’ explains Rüsing. Her colleague Langerbein adds: ‘Without energy storage, the energy transition will not work. With our portfolio, we will participate in the energy transition and want to become the player on the market.’
Since then, Blumenbecker employees have been manufacturing control cabinets for the INTILION ‘scalebloc’ line. These are stationary energy storage units from 70 kwh to 1,170 kwh for commercial use. The battery storage system is designed for both indoor and outdoor use; including weather-resistant housing and air conditioning. The possible applications are manifold: whether for optimising own demand, for peak load management or as a system for grid replacement. In addition, the ‘scalebloc’ serves as a support for the charging station of the e-car. The dimensions of the ‘scalebloc’ are still manageable at around 2 metres x 1.60 metres x 1 metre.
Large-scale storage with up to 100 MWh
This changed with the second order from INTILION. Two large 40-foot containers, the ‘scalecubes’, were delivered to Beckum in August 2022 and equipped by the Blumenbecker team. The large-scale storage units have capacities of up to 100 MWh. In November, they could be collected again, naturally by heavy transport, including escort vehicle and special permit.
In the new partnership, however, the paths are easier, both geographically and mentally. ‘The mindset is what counts. INTILION is a young company. Blumenbecker has a lot of experience. But both are open to discovering the industry and thus benefit from each other. We live the same values,’ says Rüsing. The distances are short - a good 55 kilometres separate INTILION and Blumenbecker. A plus point for INTILION. ‘Many development steps still lie ahead of us. We need a partner who is within easy reach,’ says Rüsing. Looking at production or even showing it to customers, audits - all easy to implement. Schmitz also appreciates the dialogue of short distances: ‘I think it's good that INTILION comes to us with the customers. That is a great distinction for us.’
From the ‘small’ energy storage units such as ‘scaleblocs’ to the ‘large’ container solutions ‘scalecubes’: Blumenbecker and INTILION combine a partnership with potential and projects with power - a win-win situation for both companies.
‘Cooperation, expertise, the flexibility to respond to special requests and of course the results.
The all-round package fits 100%.’
Christina Rüsing, Head of Purchasing, INTILION AG
