CAT PRODUCTS FOR CRITICAL BACKUP POWER
Standby power for branch locations selling gasoline, diesel and propane to industrial customers
POWER NEED
A wholesale supplier of gasoline, diesel fuel and propane to retail gas stations, fleets and other industrial customers throughout Puerto Rico, Cabo Rojo Gas is committed to providing same-day delivery and round-theclock service.
Every June to November during hurricane season, emergency services, businesses and residents have a critical need for an uninterrupted supply of fuel. To accommodate this need, Cabo Rojo Gas requires reliable, efficient standby power at their five distribution centers to keep pumps working and their delivery trucks on the road.
“Access to gas and propane is often a matter of life and death for island residents during a long disruption of primary power,” said Jamar Ramirez, president of Cabo Rojo Gas.
“We offer diesel and gas services to hospitals, prisons and universities, and we must always be prepared to keep the supply of fuel moving at all times. We cannot fail our customers, especially in an emergency,” added Edrick Arroyo, vice president of Cabo Rojo Gas.
SOLUTION
Executives at Cabo Rojo Gas selected one Olympian™ and four Cat® generator sets with power outputs ranging from 20 kW to 125 kW to provide standby power for their facilities in Cabo Rojo, Hormigueros, Boqueron and San Germán.
According to Ramirez, Caterpillar has an excellent reputation for engines and machines, and RIMCO, the local Cat Dealer, was the logical choice to equip the business with standby power.
After selecting the generator sets, Cabo Rojo technicians installed the generator sets at their storage and distribution sites, a process made easier by numerous product features that simplify installation. Updated packaging allows for more streamlined installation and servicing, and configurations between models are also standardized, with limited variation in access panels and option connection points. For Cabo Rojo Gas, this simplified the servicing process between generator sets, saving valuable time.
Olympian generator sets offer a complete line of key-start and automatic-start control panels equipped with many operational and protection features not generally offered on comparably sized systems. Optional instrumentation, shutdowns/alarms and state-of-the-art communication for remote monitoring and control are also available. With similar dimensions and hardware, control panels offer modular flexibility that allows them to be easily interchanged.
Each of the units purchased by Cabo Rojo Gas is equipped with a Cat Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS), a critical component for safety and reliability. The ATS starts the generator set when a power outage occurs and breaks the connection to the primary power source. When utility power is restored, the ATS automatically transfers back to utility power and turns off the generator set. This functionality made the Cat ATS the right solution for ensuring power throughout an emergency.
RESULTS
“When it comes to our standby power needs, we have considerable peace of mind knowing these generator sets are ready to fire up quickly,” Arroyo said. “The units are reliable and quiet, and we often do not even realize they have started up.”
Arroyo values RIMCO’s outstanding customer service and troubleshooting, so much so that he recommends Cat products to his customers. “It would be much more difficult to do business without these high-performing generator sets,” he said.
The relationship between Cabo Rojo Gas and RIMCO extends beyond purchase of generator sets, as the company’s fleet of 19 on-highway trucks are all equipped with Cat C13 diesel engines.
“Caterpillar makes excellent products that keep our lights on, pumps operating and trucks on the road,” Arroyo said. “Their products are key elements in our success, allowing us to maintain the highest level of service for our customers when they need us most.”