Koepon chooses the reliability of Caterpillar

Backup power for animal welfare

The livestock farm Koepon in Feerwerd is no ordinary farm. Progressive, sustainable, and highly focused on innovation and animal welfare, nearly 400 dairy cows in Groningen are milked automatically using six milking robots. To ensure the cows have 24/7 access to the milking robots, the farm has installed a Caterpillar backup generator from Pon Power.

About Koepon

With three large farms in Scotland, Germany, and the Netherlands, Koepon is a leader in innovative and responsible farming. Animal welfare, fertile soils, biodiversity, and green energy are some of the pillars that define the Koepon name. Koepon Feerwerd is the Dutch showcase, with 415 dairy and calf cows, of which 370 are milked by six milking robots. Each year, this dairy farm welcomes over a thousand visitors, including farmers from around the world, to observe and learn how Koepon achieves top results with their livestock. At the heart of it all are cow comfort and welfare, proper nutrition, and strong genetics, which contribute to both the longevity and productivity of the animals.

"It’s a matter of taking responsibility yourself—for animal welfare, but also to be prepared for the future, anticipating laws and regulations."

The energy equation

With a sufficient grid connection and nearly 4,000 solar panels generating around 900,000 kWh of energy annually, Koepon Feerwerd usually doesn’t lack electricity. Farm manager Marcel Rijkers: “We produce three times as much as we use, so simply put, we have plenty of power. But since our milking robots also operate at night and production is lower in winter, it is crucial that we ensure a constant power supply. The grid connection is sufficient, but in the event of a failure, our milking robots would stop working, directly affecting the welfare of our cows. That’s why we decided to invest in a backup generator.”

Since July 2024, farmers with barns using artificial ventilation - mainly poultry and pig farms - are required to have a backup generator. Koepon was not subject to this requirement. “But,” Rijkers continues, “it’s a matter of taking responsibility yourself - for animal welfare, but also to be prepared for the future, anticipating laws and regulations.”

"With milking robots operating nearly 22 hours a day, uninterrupted power is essential."

Electricity reliability is not what it used to be

At Koepon, they know all too well what a power outage means. Marcel Rijkers: “In the past, the power would occasionally go out, and we could manage by milking the cows a little later in the traditional milking parlor. With the milking robots, it’s different. Another factor is the situation in the world - wars, the global energy crisis we experienced; electricity reliability is lower than it used to be. Moreover, it’s quite possible that power outages in the coming years will last longer than we’re used to. The world looks different in that respect than it did before.”

With the milking robots running around 22 hours a day, there is hardly any room for interruptions. Rijkers adds: “In this regard, it’s just a matter of common sense. If you want to safeguard animal welfare with milking robots, you need a backup generator.”

Caterpillar: reliable and surprisingly affordable

Rijkers was tipped off about Caterpillar backup generators by his Koepon colleagues in Scotland. “We’ve already had positive experiences with Caterpillar, such as our shovel, which still works perfectly after 16,000 hours. But quality comes at a price, and for a backup generator that ideally is rarely used, the question is whether you should go for such an expensive brand.”

View our generator sets

That was before taking the Caterpillar GC line of backup generators into account—generators specifically designed for emergency power applications, excelling in cost-effectiveness with an excellent balance of value and reliability. Rijkers: “Indeed, the quote from Pon Power was immediately very competitive, and things moved quickly from there. Only a few weeks passed between the initial conversation and the purchase. Soon after, we had the generator here in Feerwerd, and our in-house electrician took care of the installation and commissioning.”

Dennis van Tol is the Emergency Power Account Manager at Pon Power and often hears positively surprised reactions to the competitive pricing of Caterpillar’s GC line: “We are dealing with a market where price pressure is high. Understandably so, because with 99.9% reliability of the grid, you’re making a significant investment in something you (so far) hardly ever need. That’s why it’s so great that the GC line is so competitively priced, often even cheaper than competitors. And that’s for a premium brand, with all the Caterpillar advantages: reliability, factory warranty, and top-notch service and support. Moreover, we maintain a substantial stock, which allows us to deliver extremely quickly in most cases.”