BRUNO (a UKGSA member) have recently opened a new facility (over 3000 square metres) to enhance the UK manufacturing and distribution capacity of the Bruno Group. Located just outside Colchester Essex the new factory will specialise in the manufacture of bespoke gensets and Power Stations alongside the distribution of the Bruno market leading STAGE V RENTAL range.
Bruno Generators Group (BGG) UK is a division of one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high specification rental diesel powered generators. It has been described as the ‘powerhouse’ of the BRUNO Group as it is responsible for 18% of the entire group’s turnover, providing gensets which range from 6.5 kVA to 2500 kVA prime power, with a full range of super silent canopies and containers offered.
BGG UK offers a full spectrum of products and customised solutions, considering evolution as a strategic source of competitive advantage and a key driver of developing to better suit all the professional market needs. BGG UK has its HQ at Delta House, Heath Road, Tendring, Essex, CO16 0BU.
Bruno Power is the holding company for several major power generation and associated industry companies, including BGG UK (Bruno Generators Group), BGG Projects, BDS (Bruno Defence Solutions), Westac Power and OMC Trailers. The group companies specialise in both the design and manufacture of power generation and distribution systems, supplying power generation equipment to significant civilian, industrial and military clients worldwide.
BGG Projects specialises in the design and manufacture of bespoke power solutions, including multi megawatt power stations and from our UK Tendring facility can build and test individual generators up to 5 MW.
BGG Projects supplies to a wide range of industries from military, power utilities and water authorities and is an acknowledged specialist in the oil and gas sector – ATEX, Rig-Safe and Zoned equipment. It can supply equipment for Single or Multiple Generator Operation, Synchronising and Load-sharing. Island or Grid Operation/ Black Start Functions, Data Monitoring/Logging /SCADA, LV /MV Circuit Breakers and NE Resistors, Control and monitoring of Ancillary equipment, Emergency Shutdown panels and ATEX and Hazardous Area Panels.
BGG UK’s Chris Archer, explains: “Bruno has always been committed to investing in research and innovation providing its customers with a wide range of products among the most complete in the world. In the last few years Bruno has been oriented towards increasing its production capability and the quality of its products by focusing on the evolution of new technologies. All production processes are managed in-house. As a group the company has production capacity of over 35,000 units for the global market and a distribution network spanning more than 70 different countries. Bruno maintains four production plants with a total area of 110.000 m2 with 70.000 m² covered area.
“We feel that the transfer and exchange of technical information with our business partners ensures an acceleration of our “time to market” by offering highly innovative products. The transfer and exchange of knowledge between Bruno Group companies is reflected in our production processes which are constantly updated.
There is also a dedicated line specialising in refurbishment of customer sets. The refurbishment program is aimed at extending the service life of larger units typically involving a full engine rebuild and alternator rewind with a full canopy or container repair and re paint or powder coat. Customers can then re capitalise the unit and return to fleet with an extended write down period. Alex Rossis General Manager says “We are currently processing a line of larger sets through the system the most prolific being the 1250 Kva 20 ft container rental sets. Many customers are looking to maintain this single engine node in fleet due to the 20ft footprint”.
Bruno Power Managing Director Chris Archer says “The new facility is the first stage in a comprehensive investment in the Tendring site. The second stage will include a full rebuild of the administration block with the addition of a custom-built training suite. Like all our colleagues and partners in this Industry, we at Bruno have for many years been frustrated in finding a useful educational pathway to bring in the engineers and technicians that we rely on for the future development of our sector. With the equipment we supply such as STAGE V generators and BESS (Battery storage) becoming increasingly complex, training and upskilling of the businesses most valuable asset, it`s people, is now not just desirable now it`s imperative.”
Internally due to the lack of interest from the external education sector in our specialist field, we have developed an in-house approach where a person will join as a stores assistant to develop their knowledge of the component parts to the equipment. After they have demonstrated an understanding, we review their preferred pathway. Some decide to then be trained and mentored on the electrical side others mechanical or design and some of course prefer a mixture of upskilling which leads to us producing highly skilled and rounded generator engineer professionals.
It is our intention running forward to formalise our existing training regime of customer engineers that we offer to all purchasers of Bruno products onto a formally accredited format. On this concept it is a case of “watch this space.”
Alex Rossis, General Manager for BGG UK comments: “Bruno recently developed a ‘green solution’ range of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and hybrid solutions based on Made in Italy batteries with Lithium technology (LiNMC type). Lithium batteries are not closed and inaccessible boxes, but they communicate with inverters, solar chargers, permanent magnet generators and they integrate perfectly in a highly efficient system.
“Hermes M3 is the Battery Management System (BMS) designed and produced by Cevlab and Archimede, partner companies of Bruno Group – this allows this high level of integration and efficiency. The software is also developed in-house. Powertronix has also been involved in providing charging systems for a BESS development.”
“In 2023 BRUNO took a majority stake of Powertronix, a well-established Italian Company with over 37 years of experience in the development, manufacturing and global distribution of high-performance Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems (UPS) as well as of superefficient Storage Systems. The Powertronix Company philosophy and mission is extremely sharp: developing and globally distributing a range of high performing products which, in full conformity to all the international applicable norms, should always represent for its customers the very ultimate, competitive and 360 degrees sustainable tech solution over the business cycle.”