Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), the German research institute advancing materials science and technologies for a climate-neutral energy future, has completed a major upgrade to its power infrastructure with Piller technology.

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.