New MTU Series 500 Gas Gen-Sets

Rolls-Royce announced the launch of a new MTU Series 500 for power generation, with power outputs of 250, 360 and 550 kW and peak efficiencies for the gen-set of up to 42.6%.

The company said that gas gen-sets and cogeneration plants can be ordered on the basis of six-, eight- and 12-cylinder inline engines for the 50 Hz market; in cogeneration applications, generating electricity and heat, efficiencies of around 90% can be achieved. In the 60 Hz market, the units will be introduced from mid 2021.

The products will initially be offered for operation with natural gas and from end 2021 also for biogas. The 500 series is also H2-ready, which means that the engines can be converted to hydrogen operation at a later date.

“With the 500 series, we are offering our customers state-of-the-art products with which they are equipped for the future in terms of efficiency and environmental friendliness,” said Andreas Görtz, Vice President Power Generation at Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

All gen-sets are equipped as standard with the flexible MTU Module Control System (MMC), a customizable control system located in a separate panel. This allows the gen-sets to be integrated into complex systems such as microgrids and provides access to the global MTU service network.

Rolls-Royce added that the 500 Series gensets with the MMC control are ideally suited for use in a wide range of applications, such as in combined heat and power plants and also in complex industrial applications.

The new gen-set series replaces the previous MTU Series 400 with an increased efficiency by about 3% and available power by over 30%. Spare parts and service will be maintained for Series 400 customers in accordance with contractually agreed terms. Series 400 products can be ordered until mid 2021 and series production will end in late 2021.

Rolls-Royce offers a comprehensive portfolio of energy systems from simple storage solutions to complex microgrids that combine battery storage with renewable energies and diesel or gas gen-sets. The company said that a microgrid solution that combines heat and power from a gas gen-set such as the new MTU Series 500 with photovoltaics and a battery storage system can cut energy costs by over 40% compared to a conventional system and significantly reduce its carbon footprint.