A great deal of the equipment found on today鈥檚 construction sites is electrically powered 鈥� from hand tools right up to tower cranes. In an urban environment, this power can often be supplied from the grid 鈥� if you鈥檙e lucky, there will be an existing supply.
And if there鈥檚 no mains power, you鈥檙e looking at a generator, probably diesel-powered. But in these climate-conscious days it doesn鈥檛 really do to have a genny chugging away all day and consuming gallons of fossil fuels. So people have had to come up with more earth-friendly alternatives.
For some, the easy option is to keep your diesel generator but switch out the diesel for hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO). This apparently sustainable alternative fuel (ostensibly made from waste vegetable oils from food factories and restaurants) enjoyed huge popularity a few years ago 鈥� until a number of major clients suspended its use as doubts about its sustainability surfaced.
HVO is still popular, though it is now seen聽 mostly as a way of transitioning from diesel power to genuinely sustainable methods. Meanwhile other options have had their moment: primarily hydrogen, solar and battery storage.
This article was first published in the March 2026 issue of 萝莉原创 Magazine. Sign up online.
The latter is becoming increasingly favoured as battery technology develops. Electric vehicles (EVs) are no longer the novelty they seemed when Tesla launched its Roadster (and had it panned by Jeremy Clarkson) in 2008. And early 鈥榬ange anxiety鈥� over the EV鈥檚 battery life has been largely assuaged.
Alongside the motor industry, mobile power specialists have been developing their own battery systems and energy storage packs are now available from a number of manufacturers for use in construction, hospitality and other commercial sectors.
One company, however, has bypassed the expensive and time-consuming R&D stage by simply adopting the battery technology developed by car manufacturers and repurposing it for other users.
This company, Allye Energy, headquartered in London, was set up just three years ago by a team of engineers and data scientists, most of whom were previously employed by car manufacturers including Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, McLaren and Lotus.
Their experience working with EVs alerted them to the potential of EV battery technology to benefit other applications. 鈥淓V batteries are designed for mobility and they鈥檙e crash-tested, therefore durable. They offer power with safety and performance,鈥� says Allye co-founder Jonathan Carrier.
EVs have been around long enough for their battery technology to be proven and reliable and also for there to be an after-market for used batteries.
Allye鈥檚 idea was to take a number of pre-used batteries, pack them into a container and connect them in parallel to provide a high-intensity power source for off-grid applications.
The company takes 鈥渘early new鈥� batteries from a range of suppliers including fleets, insurers and car manufacturers and uses its proprietary software to determine battery health and safety for repurposing. A battery鈥檚 suitability depends upon its 鈥榮tate of health鈥� 鈥� which means its current capacity and performance compared to when it was new. Allye claims that the batteries it uses possess an average 94% state of health, offering a lifespan comparable with that of new batteries but, because they are second-hand, with a 60% lower carbon footprint.
Different motor manufacturers use different batteries. Some, like Tesla and Chinese firm BYD, have developed their own battery technology while others use third party products from the likes of LG, Panasonic and SK Innovation.
鈥淭here are lots of different types of battery but we can mix and match,鈥� says Carrier. Surprisingly, perhaps, an Allye unit might contain a combination of batteries from a variety of car-makers. 鈥淎ll battery chemistry is different but we can manage that. The software is where all the clever stuff is. In fact it鈥檚 all about the software,鈥� he adds.
Allye repurposes the entire battery pack including the battery management system (BMS), cooling system and high-voltage cables from the vehicle. This maintains pack integrity and re-uses the BMS developed specifically for that pack and its chemistry so that it continues to operate within the original parameters set by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
鈥淲e can use any batteries in any combination,鈥� continues Carrier. 鈥淲e can work with the manufacturer direct if they supply their DBC file. But they might not, because the DBC file is their intellectual property.鈥� The DBC, or database CAN, file is a human-readable text file that defines how raw data is transmitted over a controller area network (CAN) bus.
This article was first published in the March 2026 issue of 萝莉原创 Magazine. Sign up online.
鈥淚f we can get the DBC file [Jaguar Land Rover is one of the companies that is happy to oblige] then we can reverse-engineer that into our system as long as the OEM gives us the key to the front door,鈥� explains Carrier.
鈥淚f they don鈥檛, then we have to engineer our own 鈥榖ack-door key鈥� 鈥� this is what we do with Hyundai, Kia and VW Group.鈥�
The battery is just one subsystem in an EV and is integrated with all the other systems via the central computer. 鈥淭he trick is to make the battery think it鈥檚 still in a car, and that鈥檚 what our software does,鈥� adds Carrier. 鈥淪o when we combine these batteries into our system, we have to get them all working in concert. We鈥檙e like the conductor of an orchestra!鈥�
Allye currently has three products commercially available with energy capacities from around 320kWh to almost 1MWh. Carrier describes them as 鈥渓ike a massive version of the power-bank that you use to charge your mobile phone鈥� for providing clean, quiet power for a multitude of applications.
As homes and businesses turn their backs on fossil fuels and become increasingly dependent on clean electricity, battery storage (indeed any method of storing electrical power) is becoming an increasingly important area for research and development.
The range of applications for systems such a Allye鈥檚 is almost limitless. In off-grid applications, such as many construction sites, an Allye unit is a direct replacement for a traditional diesel generator. Being compact and transportable, units can be delivered to site and, when low on power, can be swapped out for a fully-charged unit just like the batteries in a cordless power tool.
With the grid under increasing pressure of demand, many businesses are frustrated by a constrained supply. Grid upgrades can take years to materialise, so an Allye unit can provide that necessary boost. By the same token, grid upgrades are impractical for businesses in leased premises where an Allye unit could prove a more practical and affordable solution.
One of the first customers to employ Allye in this way was Roadchef, which operates 21 service stations across the motorway network. In October 2024, Allye installed one of its MAX300 units at Killington Lake services on the M6 鈥� Roadchef鈥檚 original site 鈥� to provide auxiliary power during periods of high demand.
Within a few weeks the unit had saved money and eliminated significant operating interruptions from loss of power on site. For sites like this, where new equipment 鈥� crucially, including EV charging stations 鈥� is needed, one of Allye鈥檚聽 units is a cost-effective alternative to a grid upgrade.
For customers like Roadchef, battery storage can significantly reduce costs through peak shaving (the reduction of electricity consumption from the grid during expensive peak periods) and energy arbitrage 鈥� the purchase of cheaper energy when prices are low.
鈥淚f you go into the peak 鈥榬ed band鈥�, your costs go up immediately,鈥� says Carrier, who says the red band rate can be up to 450 times off-peak 鈥榞reen鈥� band rates.
鈥淏y implementing AI-driven 鈥榖ehind the meter鈥� energy storage, our units enable businesses to avoid the most expensive high-demand electricity period,鈥� says Carrier. Batteries can also be used to balance the grid and Carrier says that users can even earn money simply by having their battery storage units on standby.
With modern battery technology now able to store significant amounts of energy, construction industry users are increasingly alert to their appeal.
This article was first published in the March 2026 issue of 萝莉原创 Magazine. Sign up online.
One of Allye鈥檚 first customers was Dublin-based Horizon Plant, a company that specialises in heavy earthmoving equipment. 鈥淗orizon is our biggest customer to date,鈥� says Carrier. 鈥淚n addition to its earthmoving equipment, Horizon also provides mobile power for construction sites, for tower cranes, for example.鈥�
Horizon currently has four of Allye鈥檚 MAX300 units. In addition to servicing its construction clients, the company has helped boost the electricity supply for a local school and last year used the Allye technology to provide extra power for Dublin Zoo鈥檚 Christmas Village attraction.
In the UK, one of Allye鈥檚 first construction industry clients was Collins Earthworks, which uses Allye鈥檚 top of the range MAX1000 to recharge a fleet of electric tipper trucks
(see box, p35).
In December, Allye secured 拢1.8m in seed funding from investors Elbow Beach and Alpha Future Funds to help it scale up production and delivery of its battery systems and invest in further R&D.聽 The cash injection comes on top of what Carrier says is a 鈥渟trong commercial response鈥� reflected in a confirmed order book of 拢2m and a project pipeline exceeding 拢7.4m.
Around the same time, Allye announced its biggest order to date, for five of its MAX500 (500kWh/420kW) units for an un-named UK construction firm. The customer will use the units to charge battery-electric plant and vehicles on a number of sites around the UK.
The order, worth in excess of 拢1m, is also the first major deal secured through a three-year distribution agreement signed in October 2025 with Vital Power Group, a fast-growing mobile power and generator supplier (not to be confused with M&E contractor Vital Energi).
The new partnership is expected to accelerate market expansion, giving Allye access to Vital鈥檚 established customer base across construction, power rental and equipment manufacturing, says Carrier.
It also provides enhanced customer support, he adds: 鈥淭he great thing for us is that Vital can do all the maintenance and customer service. At the moment we just don鈥檛 have the capacity for 24-hour service and maintenance.鈥�
The coming 12 months will prove crucial for Allye, says Carrier. Still a very young business, the company has fewer than 20 MAX units operating in the UK and Ireland. Carrier is now looking to scale up with additions to the Allye MAX range, expanding into Europe and developing sector-specific solutions to meet developing needs.
THE ALLYE PRODUCT RANGE
Allye Energy currently offers four battery energy storage systems tailored to a range of customer requirements:
l MAX300 (~300kWh, 280kW): Fully mobile, trailer-mounted system weighing less than 3.5 tonnes with minimal 鈥榙angerous goods鈥� transport requirements. Suitable for construction sites, film and TV production, events and temporary power applications.
l MAX500 (~500kWh, 420kW): Optimal balance of capacity, power and mobility for construction applications and incorporating integrated DC fast recharging capability.
l MAX1000 (~1MWh, 840kW): High-capacity system for grid-tied EV charging hubs, manufacturing facilities and construction sites requiring sustained high-power delivery.
l MAX1500 (~1.5MWh, 1.25MW): Allye鈥檚 flagship 鈥榙rop and go鈥� system, deployable in less than two minutes using a hook loader. Suitable for on-grid and off-grid applications including data centres, ports and industrial electrification.
The MAX500 is the most recent addition to the Allye range and is currently the only model to feature DC fast charging capability as standard.
DC fast recharging transforms operational flexibility, says Allye, enabling rapid replenishment from 20-80% state of charge in approximately one hour. This capability transforms mobile battery energy storage by enabling systems to recharge from any public DC fast charger or, critically for large-scale projects, to recharge each other in the field.
鈥淏y enabling our systems to rapidly recharge from DC sources 鈥� whether public infrastructure or other battery units 鈥� we鈥檝e created a dynamic energy ecosystem that adapts to the complex logistics of large construction sites. This capability will be rolled out across our entire MAX range,鈥� says Allye CEO Jonathan Carrier.
COLLINS POWERS UP
Last summer, Nottinghamshire-based Collins Earthworks became the first customer to take delivery of Allye鈥檚 MAX1000 unit.
The unit 鈥� which is equipped for 240kW DC fast charging 鈥� is being used to charge Collins鈥� fleet of electric vehicles and excavators.
Collins operates one of the UK鈥檚 largest fully-electric fleets, including four Volvo FMX electric trucks and the UK鈥檚 first Volvo EC750E and EC950E excavators. The challenge is to provide reliable, high-power charging at depots, quarries and remote construction sites without extensive infrastructure upgrades.
This article was first published in the March 2026 issue of 萝莉原创 Magazine. Sign up online.
鈥淭he customer is currently using its electric trucks to shuttle between the quarry and a construction site off the M1 motorway where the MAX1000 is connected to the grid,鈥� said Allye CEO Jonathan Carrier.
鈥淭he driver arrives on site, drops off his load and has a coffee and a rest while the truck is recharging. Then it鈥檚 back to the quarry for the next load,鈥� he adds.
Allye Energy estimates that its MAX1000 will save Collins up to 拢2,500 per week in diesel costs alone, with additional savings from reduced maintenance requirements and the elimination of costly grid connection upgrades for EV charging infrastructure.
Collins Earthworks managing director David Collins said: 鈥淭he transition to electric construction equipment presents unique challenges in our industry, but it鈥檚 a necessary step forward that we鈥檙e committed to taking.
鈥淭he Max1000 delivers exactly what we need 鈥� reliable, high-power charging capability that can be deployed at our various work sites without extensive infrastructure upgrades. It鈥檚 a practical solution that keeps our electric equipment running efficiently while helping us meet our sustainability targets.
鈥淭his technology allows us to maintain productivity and operational effectiveness while significantly reducing our environmental impact.鈥�
SUSTAINABLE POWER OPTIONS
Allye鈥檚 鈥榮econd-use鈥� EV battery packs represent just one of the alternatives to traditional diesel power currently available. Others include:
HVO 鈥� Hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) is a direct 鈥榙rop-in鈥� substitute for traditional diesel and has the benefit of not being a fossil fuel. As well as being made from a renewable resource, HVO is also credited with lower tailpipe emissions than normal diesel. Although ostensibly a by-product of food production, demand for HVO will soon exceed the supply from these renewable sources. Some HVO is already being produced from palm oil grown specifically for this purpose. Environmentalists fear that growing demand for HVO will lead to deforestation making way for new palm oil plantations.
Hydrogen 鈥� Hydrogen is possibly the cleanest combustible fuel: when it burns, the only emission is water. 萝莉原创 equipment giant JCB is one of the UK鈥檚 most enthusiastic champions of hydrogen-powered construction equipment. The company has invested more than 拢100m in developing hydrogen as a fuel for construction and agricultural machines and has already produced 115 evaluation engines that are powering backhoe loaders and Loadall telescopic handlers. It unveiled what it claimed was the world鈥檚 first hydrogen-fueled 20-tonne excavator, the 220X, in 2020.
Solar 鈥� The development of high-intensity LED lighting in the early 2000s meant that mobile industrial lighting towers 鈥� such as those used to illuminate night-time construction works 鈥� suddenly became very energy-efficient. It therefore became possible to replace the usual diesel generator used to power them with modern battery technology. The addition of solar panels to charge the batteries was a logical step: the lights are not required during daylight hours so this time can be used to top up the batteries using built-in photovoltaic panels.聽
Flywheel 鈥� In 2007 a new company, Flybrid, was set up to develop a hybrid power system employing the flywheel principle. The company was a spin-off from Formula 1 research into hybrid power technology to recover energy from regenerative braking systems.
In 2021 the company (which rebranded a couple of years ago as Dumarey) launched its PP200, a flywheel energy storage module that couples an electric motor and variable frequency drive. The unit stores聽 energy from an existing power source such as a mains connection or diesel generator at idle and then uses the kinetic energy in the flywheel to generate high power to handle peak loads.
The PP200 has proved highly efficient when used to power machines that operate intermittently, such as tower cranes. And its ability to store kinetic energy means that a much smaller generator is required. Dumarey also produces a battery energy storage system聽 using used truck and bus batteries that no longer have the capacity required for their original purpose.
This article was first published in the March 2026 issue of 萝莉原创 Magazine. Sign up online.
Heat storage 鈥� Energy in the form of heat can be stored in insulated silos to generate power on demand. Hampshire-based startup Caldera has developed what it calls a 鈥渕egacell鈥� that uses solar panels to heat up a solid matrix made from scrap aluminium and volcanic rock inside a vacuum-insulated housing. The megacell can store heat at up to 500oC and deliver energy on demand in the form of hot water or steam at temperatures up to 210oC. Caldera chief commercial officer Daniel Kirk says: 鈥淎round 70% of UK industrial energy demand is for heat, with industrial steam accounting for 31% of the total.鈥�
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
