22.01.2026
Energy Club welcomes a new member to the energy business community — the Latvian company BSC GROUP LTD, which specializes in the design and production of industrial solutions. With over 15 years of market experience, BSC GROUP LTD manufactures containerized “plug-and-play” CHP units, backup power systems, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for Latvia, the Baltics, Ukraine, and the EU. For many customers today, speed of implementation and predictable results are critical, making the company’s approaches increasingly relevant.
In an interview with the Energy Club media department, the head of BSC GROUP LTD Sandis Āķis discussed the company’s journey from an engineering partner to a manufacturer of its own energy solutions, its experience in international markets, and the reasons behind choosing a multi-brand strategy. He shared a practical vision for decentralized generation in Ukraine, realistic timelines for launching “plug-and-play” container units, approaches to service and spare parts supply, and provided a pragmatic assessment of the roles of gas generation, biogas, and BESS in current conditions.
– Mr. Sandis, BSC Group has been on the market for over 15 years. How has the company transformed during this time: from engineering projects to manufacturing your own solutions?
– We started in 2010 as a satellite company of a large German concern that supplied equipment in our region. At that stage, we accumulated significant technical and practical experience. Over time, following market developments, we began to independently develop, supply, and integrate equipment, as well as build direct cooperation with clients without intermediaries. As a result of this growth, we became the largest independent company in the region specializing in the maintenance and service of natural gas and biogas stations.
At the same time, significant economic changes occurred in our market, and we changed along with it. As government support programs ended and subsidies for gas and biogas station producers were exhausted, the market experienced a catastrophic collapse within a few years. Out of more than 150 energy facilities — a significant figure for Latvia — less than 10% remain active electricity producers today.
In result, to maintain business stability and competitiveness, we had to review our strategy and shift our focus. The primary emphasis was placed on the development, manufacture, and supply of equipment through direct interaction with customers. This allowed us to flexibly adapt solutions to specific tasks and successfully enter new markets outside Latvia.
Over the years, we have implemented projects and worked in the UK, the Baltics, Croatia, Greece, Spain, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, the Middle East, and even Japan. For the past 2.5 years, we have also been actively working in the Ukrainian market, applying our accumulated international experience and technological competencies.
– What do you consider your main achievement to date?
– For us as a company, the key achievements are our accumulated experience, deep technical knowledge, and earned reputation. Over years of work, we have implemented projects of varying complexity, which allowed us to form strong expertise not only in production and supply but also in integration and commissioning.
Our approach is always based on long-term partnership with clients. We never walk away from solving problems during difficult moments, especially during the startup and handover phases. Even when difficulties are not directly related to our solutions, we always try to help by actively participating in the analysis and finding the optimal way out.
It is this position — being by the customer’s side, taking responsibility, and bringing projects to a sustainable result — that has become the foundation of trust and one of our company’s most important assets.
– You work with top engine brands — MWM, Jenbacher, CAT, MAN. Why did you choose a multi-brand strategy instead of being tied to a single manufacturer? How does this help in selecting the best solution for the client?
– By using engines from several manufacturers, for many years we have maintained technological flexibility and independence from large equipment suppliers. This independence has been a key factor allowing us to evolve and survive in complex, constantly changing market conditions. Such an approach enables us to select the optimal technical solution for each project rather than adjusting to the limitations of a single manufacturer.
Thanks to working with different manufacturers, we can satisfy almost any specific technical requirement — whether it’s required production capacity, equipment integration, or subsequent maintenance. Another important factor is the cost range: we can offer several alternative solutions in different price categories. At the same time, it is fundamentally important to us that technological requirements and quality standards are maintained regardless of the chosen option.
Practice shows that many Western European companies operate according to rigid bureaucratic standards and are often detached from the real conditions of local markets. They do not always understand their specifics. Our competitive advantage is based on accumulated experience and the ability to be closer to the client — both in terms of mentality and communication. A shared cultural context and language skills allow us to work effectively with customers in the post-Soviet space, offering practical and realistically applicable solutions.
– Ukraine needs generation “yesterday”. You emphasize “plug-and-play” containerized solutions. What is the realistic timeframe from order to startup at a site in Ukraine? How ready are they to work “off the wheels”?
– We initially built our work on the “plug-and-play” principle, which, especially in the current situation, including in your country, allows for maximum efficiency and significant time savings. Equipment is delivered as prepared as possible — only connection, adjustment, and commissioning remain on-site.
Standard delivery times are 10–14 weeks, though they largely depend on the availability of the engines (gensets) themselves. Here, I would like to highlight our “open book” approach: a customer can choose to purchase the engine directly, while we provide the comprehensive service of manufacturing, assembling, and packaging it into a ready-to-install solution.
Once the equipment is on-site, and if the customer has prepared everything according to technical requirements and performed necessary connections, we can begin commissioning within 7–10 days.
At the same time, it is important to note that actual timelines may vary depending on the equipment’s purpose and conditions: whether it is a full container (container type) for outdoor placement or a canopy type for indoor installation. Project timelines are often dictated by the delivery of key components. However, practice shows that over the past year, all our projects were completed strictly within the agreed schedules, including for clients in Ukraine.
– Your units work on both natural gas and biogas. Considering the situation in Ukraine, which direction do you see as more promising in the next 2–3 years?
– In Ukraine, in my opinion, the main direction and key segment today is natural gas stations. This is directly driven by the catastrophic deficit of electricity and heat.
At the same time, I see several systemic issues — of course, this is my personal opinion. Procurement often has an excessively centralized and bureaucratic character, and from a technical standpoint, solutions are not always optimal. Capacity is often concentrated vertically — in one place in the form of large energy facilities.
In my opinion, a horizontal approach is much more correct — deep analysis of each specific project and the possibilities for decentralizing energy and heat supply. This means individual residential blocks, hospitals, and industrial facilities should be as autonomous and independent as possible.
In practical sense, this means moving away from the concept of only large generating capacities (e.g., 2.0 MW units) that serve vast territories. Instead, it is advisable to use a modular approach — starting from 350 kW units and scaling up to 2.5 MW as needed.
Of course, every project is unique and requires a specific technical solution. However, with a clear technical assignment and a decentralized approach, the customer receives a significantly higher level of independence, stability, and safety of energy and heat supply. And in current conditions, as we all see, this is of critical importance.
– Do you have ready-made cases for the agricultural sector (biogas units)?
– We have many years of practical experience in the supply, integration, and service of biogas units. From an engineering standpoint, the architecture is similar to natural gas stations, but from an operational perspective, every biogas project is unique. This is due to variations in raw materials, biological processes, loading modes, and requirements for constant control of technological parameters.
Unlike gas stations, biogas facilities require continuous operator involvement and strict adherence to technological regulations — from substrate preparation to stable operation of cogeneration equipment. Economic efficiency directly depends on correct exploitation, regular maintenance, and competent management.
Under condition of following all technical requirements, biogas units are highly valuable assets for the agricultural sector in the long term. They integrate into the continuous production cycle, allow for waste utilization, reduce energy costs, and increase the overall resilience and profitability of agricultural enterprises.
– You offer solutions for continuous and backup power. What capacities can you cover? Do you have solutions for specific objects, such as water utilities or hospitals, where stability of frequency and voltage is critical?
– Our main advantage is that we can offer a wide range from 250 kW to 2,500 kW (2.5 MW) per unit. These are not “template” solutions; we configure equipment according to the specific technical requirements of the site, its mode of operation, and exploitation specifics.
One of the most popular solutions is the Twin Pack configuration — a container with two engines of equal capacity. They can work in parallel or flexibly; if demand drops, one engine can be stopped or put in reserve. This allows for optimization of fuel, reduced wear, and adaptation to current load.
I want to emphasize that a modular and distributed principle in your conditions is significantly more reliable and sustainable. Even if one engine stops or a technical failure occurs, the facility retains at least 50% of its power, which is critical for continuity.
Regarding redundancy and back-up solutions, we can manufacture units both on natural gas and diesel-generators, providing an additional level of security for emergency situations.
– The biggest pain for Ukrainian business right now is the availability of spare parts and service. How is BSC Group planning to organize (or already organized) technical support in Ukraine? Is there a warehouse, are local engineers working?
– This question is complex and cannot be considered apart from the current political-economic situation and the state of human resources in Ukraine under actual military actions.
Regarding spare parts, much depends on the customer’s budget. Work in this direction should be planned: volumes and nomenclature are formed based on the budget and exploitation strategy. Accordingly, the level of availability of parts on-site directly depends on this.
In case of emergencies, we can currently ensure the delivery of necessary spare parts within 3–4 days, which is a critical factor for maintaining operations.
In part of service, in many cases we can solve tasks remotely. Our engineers have the ability through internet connection to perform diagnostics, adjustment, and troubleshooting, working closely with the customer’s technical personnel on-site. It should be considered that such equipment requires constant control and service from a local technical team.
Of course, situations exist when remote support is not enough — for example, during serious malfunctions or major overhauls. In such cases, we can provide the physical presence of our own service teams on-site for the full range of work.
– You also supply industrial Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). How do you advise Ukrainian enterprises to use them: as a separate reserve or in tandem with gas generation (hybrid systems) for balancing?
– Participating in many energy forums around the world, I can express only my personal opinion: there is no single “universal truth”. No one from the outside can give a ready answer that fits everyone. In each case, one must look at the situation globally — choosing a path based primarily on real financial capabilities. Pragmatically speaking, BESS are technologically high-quality solutions. However, they remain quite expensive, and I have doubts that in current conditions they always meet real economic possibilities.
At this stage, you primarily need stable, reliable, and economically justified solutions. Theoretically, almost anything is possible, but in practice, the key factors are financial feasibility, applicability to the location, and priorities of use.
Balance between technology and economic reality should determine the choice, not following fashionable trends or universal recommendations.
– You joined the Energy Club business community in 2026. What are your expectations? What partners are you looking for in Ukraine (designers, general contractors, end customers)?
– Primarily — interaction. As mentioned, it is fundamentally important for us to be in direct contact with the customer at all stages — from concept to exploitation.
If we speak specifically about early 2026, the key figure is the customer or end consumer. Blackout scenarios require fast, pragmatic, and technically sound solutions without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
In such conditions, direct communication, transparency, and the ability of all parties to adapt quickly to changing reality become of particular value.
– As the head of a Latvian company, how do you assess the potential of distributed generation in Ukraine? Can Ukraine repeat the path of the Baltic states in modernizing the energy system, and what role is BSC Group ready to play?
– I do not doubt that by joining forces and sharing experience, we can effectively implement these tasks. Primarily — to ensure reliable energy supply in the long term, which today is a critical priority.
On this stable foundation, the next stage will be possible — planned modernization of facilities and introduction of new technologies adapted to real conditions and economic possibilities. Such a step-by-step approach is what achieves sustainable results and long-term value for all participants.
