Rolls-Royce natural gas gen sets supply power to grid in Alberta

Gas gen set installation in Alberta (Photo: Rolls-Royce)

Rolls-Royce is supplying 10 mtu 20V 4000 L64 FNER gas gen sets to its distributor partner Collicutt Energy Services for end user installations in Alberta, Canada. Each of these will deliver electricity to the grid at times of peak demand. The first of the five sites is now online.

The electricity market in Alberta is unique in Canada as it is a for-profit deregulated ‘energy-only’ system that pays producers for the power they deliver to the grid.

The wholesale price of electricity is set each hour, and each producer is paid based on the rate at the time of supply, regardless of how that power is produced.

The mtu Series 4000 natural gas gen sets deliver power which is environmentally friendly and cost effective when compared to other sources such as coal or diesel.

Tobias Ostermaier, president of Stationary Power Solutions, Rolls-Royce, said: “The mtu Series 4000 natural gas gen sets are a perfect fit to capitalize on the unique electricity market in Alberta.”

Mtu gas gen sets were selected for the project based on the cost of power generation and their long lifespan – each unit can operate for up to 84,000 hours before needing a major overhaul.

Also key to the end user’s purchase decision was the support provided by Collicutt Energy Services, Rolls-Royce’s sales and service partner for mtu products in Alberta. Collicutt will provide long term maintenance for the gen sets, including 24/7 monitoring at each of the sites.

Collicutt oversaw every phase of the project, from the initial concept through to the engineering, design, manufacturing, assisting with the onsite installation and final commissioning.

Producing fewer air pollutants and CO2 emissions than other energy sources, natural gas-fuelled gen sets are a bridging technology toward a zero-carbon future. The units can also operate on hydrogen gas blends.