X3 Portable Power System

The X3-20 Portable Power System delivers sustainable power to remote and emergency locations. The integrated turbine, solar cells and fuel-powered industrial generator offer an unprecedented combination of resources to operations conducted off the power grid or in disaster areas.

Delivering electrical power sources to remote locations has long been a challenge: periodic fuel deliveries are needed for generators while wind and solar can be stymied by weather for days on end. X3 Energy has developed a comprehensive solution that integrates the best of all three into a portable platform: solar cells, a self-deploying wind turbine, and a John Deere diesel generator.


All three power sources charge a bank of 48V batteries mounted inside the container, and output is 20kW of AC power through a bank of inverters to operate pumps, machinery, or electronics off-the-grid. An integrated hydraulic system for raising the turbine boom and a self-deploying set of outriggers can also be configured to power hydraulic equipment.

"We saw the need for portable power stations that could be deployed immediately in the wake of a natural disaster, or to locations where fuel delivery is very costly, such as high in the mountains or on islands," states inventor George Van Straten of X3 Energy. "Likewise, the defense community and homeland security need the reliability of a diesel generator but are seeking ways to reduce fuel cost and consumption."

The baseline X3-20 system includes a John Deere Tier 4, three-cylinder 20kW diesel engine paired with a Marathon generator, configured by Superior Diesel in Rhinelander, WI. "We are targeting markets where power is crucial and standard components are valued," explains Peter Van Straten, George's brother and Co-owner. "Our customers already rely on the John Deere engines, so we anticipate rapid acceptance of the X3 product line."

In addition to the baseline 20kW model, X3 Energy will configure larger systems around the unique requirements of each application. Increased power from solar cells, larger or multiple turbines, and generators up to 200kW will be offered and manufactured to order.

George says, "We know that electric power can mean life and death after natural disasters, so we designed the X3 to be operational within minutes of arriving where it's needed. Failure is not an option under those circumstances: every link in the chain has to be robust and the John Deere engine is central to our design."

Photo Captions
The X3 Energy portable power station integrates renewable power generation and storage with a diesel generator.

The John Deere Model XYZ is built into the X3 container platform and integrated with an intelligent power management system

Featured Product

Vecoplan - Planning and implementation of complete processing plants in refuse derived fuel production

Vecoplan - Planning and implementation of complete processing plants in refuse derived fuel production

In order to reduce the costs involved in the energy-intensive production of cement, many manufacturers are turning to refuse-derived fuels (RDF), considerably reducing the proportion of expensive primary fuels they would normally use. Solid fuels are being increasingly used - these might be used tyres, waste wood or mixtures of plastics, paper, composite materials and textiles. Vecoplan provides operators of cement plants with proven and robust components for conveying the material and separating iron and impurities, efficient receiving stations, storage systems and, of course, efficient shredders for an output in various qualities.