Alcad has appointed Norco Group Ltd as its UK Service Centre for nickel technology industrial batteries, covering backup power systems for the North Sea’s offshore oil and gas industry, as well as transport, data centres, utilities, hospitals and other mission critical industries.
As a contractor in stored electrical energy systems, Norco’s team of certified technicians will inspect, survey and maintain the UK’s fleet of Alcad nickel batteries, providing customers with technical support and advice.
Asset life extension is an important priority for today’s North Sea operators. Many operators have acquired assets and are keen to maximise the service life from equipment such as backup batteries.
To be appointed as one of 37 accredited service centres worldwide, Alcad vetted Norco’s management processes, facilities and compliance of their test equipment. In addition, all Norco service engineers have completed the Installation, Commissioning and Maintenance course at Alcad’s factory in Oskarshamn, Sweden, as part of the approval process. Without this knowledge, a technician may falsely diagnose batteries as being time-served, leading to the unnecessary cost of replacing a healthy battery system.
Norco director John Roy said, “Alcad’s nickel battery systems can last for 20 years or more but some operators take them out of service prematurely on the recommendation of technicians who are not fully qualified in the technology. Being appointed as Alcad’s official service partner means that UK operators can call on our team of certified technicians who will ensure they get the full value from their existing assets.”
Bill McKenzie, UK and Ireland sales manager for Alcad, added, “Today’s North Sea operators want to maximise the life of their assets in the field. By appointing Norco as our dedicated service centre for UK customers, we can complement our sales expertise with the highest level of service and responsiveness.”