The Estonian Stockpiling Agency (ESPA) has launched a public procurement procedure to purchase electric generators with a capacity of 2 to 65 kW. The purpose of the generators is to supply the consumers with the national stockpile and to use them in various crisis situations when the normal power supply is disrupted.
The main use of the generators is to support the deployment of the national stockpile managed by the ESPA in the event of power cuts, so that the reserves reach consumers and those in need in a crisis. However, according to Ando Leppiman, Chairman of the Management Board of the Estonian Stockpiling Agency, the generators to be procured are universal and have a very wide range of potential uses.
‘The four generators are relatively powerful, at least 65 kW, and can be used to keep an important production plant running in a crisis situation, supplying electricity, for example, at an evacuation site of residents or a warehouse. Large generators will be purchased with special trailers and they must be operable outdoors even in a storm, heavy rain, or other extreme weather conditions.
We intend to buy at least twenty 8 kW generators. This capacity ensures, for example, the operation of critical drinking water and wastewater pumping stations. The fifty generators are small, merely with a rated capacity of 2 kW, but can power, for example, pharmacy fridges for storing medicines, or run a circulator in a boiler room,’ explained Leppiman.
The companies must deliver the generators to the ESPA in up to five months from the receipt of the bids and the conclusion of contracts. With the aggression of Russia in Ukraine and the tense situation of the security of electricity supply, the demand for mobile generators in Europe has soared, the prices have risen, and delivery times have extended.
In preparing for crises, each of us, individuals as well as organisations, has the responsibility to ensure the initial preparedness. All institutions, companies, and housing associations should assess their preparedness for crisis and find appropriate solutions for dealing with different emergencies. All critical service providers must draw up a contingency plan, including the measures and actions to be taken in the event of a major power cut, and purchase or build a back-up generator, if necessary.
Local authorities and the state will reach those in need, but it will inevitably take time in a crisis situation and, with limited resources, the focus will be on providing the most critical services to society. The generators of the ESPA give the country an extra buffer to provide support in difficult situations.
The Estonian Stockpiling Agency, which is a state enterprise, started operating in the summer of 2021 and is responsible for stockpiling, storing, and organising the utilisation of essential goods needed by the Estonian population in emergencies.