dm-drogerie markt operates more than 2,000 stores in Germany. The continuous reliable supply of these stores is a prerequisite for customer satisfaction. Four self-operated distribution centers perform this important task, one each in Weilerswist near Cologne, Waghäusel in Baden, Wustermark in Brandenburg and the textile distribution center in Karlsruhe. Prolonged power outages could jeopardize the continuous supply of goods to the dm stores.

The logistics center in Wustermark is protected by a permanently installed emergency power system for the data center and security lighting. However, this did not have the necessary capacity to cover the logistics and technical building systems such as compressed air, refrigeration, air conditioning and heating technology. Marcel Gebauer, the person responsible for technology at dm, therefore contacted Bredenoord. The contact was made via the Weilerswist distribution center, which Bredenoord had previously supplied with temporary emergency power. "Other emergency power providers would only have delivered when a power outage occurred. However, we wanted to be protected in advance and be able to continue operating our distribution center without interruption in the event of temporary shutdowns. That's why we opted for Bredenoord, who were able to provide us with rental emergency power generators for the winter months."

Recording the emergency power requirements on site

One of the aspects that spoke in favor of the Bredenoord provider was the proximity of the distribution center to the Bredenoord site in Schopsdorf. A Bredenoord employee visited the logistics center on site and was able to develop a tailor-made solution together with the building technology team. An existing transformer station made it possible to calculate almost exactly how much power would be required in the event of a temporary power cut, which Bredenoord used as a basis for calculating the number of units, fuel and tanks. To be on the safe side, a slightly higher output was estimated than the previous measurement. During the inspection, the optimum location for the Bredenoord equipment was also selected so that the supply lines and cables could be included in the quotation.

The solution was a powerful emergency power supply with a focus on occupational safety on the dm premises. Four 800 kilovolt ampere gensets with four fuel tanks, each with a capacity of 5,500 liters, were supplied. The system was installed protected from the weather so that no winter set was required; a winter set prevents the fuel from flocculating and the pipes from freezing in very cold weather. The energy concept provided for two feed-in points, at each of which two of the gensets were placed. The site is large, so hundreds of meters of cable connections were laid.