Rolls-royce biogas gen-sets for power and heat generation

Rolls-Royce announced it is now offering its new mtu Series 4000 biogas generator sets for power and heat generation. The units are designed to generate CO2-neutral base-load power and can also serve as storage solution.

Rolls-Royce is offering 8-, 12-, 16- and 20-cylinder versions of its mtu Series 4000 biogas gen-sets. (Photo: Rolls-Royce)

Development of the new gen-sets was based on experience gained from their predecessors, the L32 for biogas and L64FNER for natural gas, and focused on reduced life cycle costs and ease of maintenance. The company cited an engine lifetime of up to 84,000 operating hours until major overhaul (TBO). To meet the global exhaust gas standards, the gen-set can be optionally combined with a suitable exhaust gas aftertreatment system from the mtu product portfolio.

The Series 4000 L64FB engines are “extreme robust,” said Vittorio Pierangeli, vice president Global Powergen at the Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems, and show “consistently high performance even under extreme conditions of ambient temperature, humidity and altitude.” The 12-cylinder gen-set offers an electrical output of 1,521 kWe with a peak electrical efficiency of 44.1% and an overall efficiency of more than 90%, the company stated. Compared to the previous Series 4000L32FB model, output has been increased by 30%.

The system’s compact design ensures a small footprint and high power density, enabling the 12-cylinder version to deliver as much power as the 16-cylinder version of the L32, Rolls-Royce added. Other cylinder configurations (8V, 16V, 20V) are also available to order for delivery in 2024.

Rolls-Royce is already installing its first 12-cylinder mtu Series 4000 L64FB biogas CHP at starch producer Tongjit in Thailand. The family-owned company already has a 20-cylinder unit of the previous model in operation and will now be able to supply its entire factory with its own electricity, saving around 600,000 euros per year in electricity costs.

The new biogas gen-sets are suited for use in agricultural applications as well as in such applications as wastewater treatment plants (sewage gas), landfill sites (landfill gas) and food processing.