Rolls-Royce Provides 12 Gensets for Gas-Fired Power Plant in Oman

Rolls-Royce completed the delivery of 12 generator sets (gensets) to a gas power plant servicing a large-scale oil and gas production site in Oman. The total supply consists of eight mtu containerized gas gensets and four mtu 20 V Series 4000 L64 FNER gas engines. Each genset produces 2 MW of power to meet the demands of the facility.

“Meeting the demanding requirements of a large-scale project in a remote location that depends on reliable power, while also taking environmental factors into account, is always a rewarding challenge,” said Tobias Ostermaier, President of Stationary Power Solutions, Rolls-Royce. “Working with the team at Al Faris, we were able to deliver dependable power via our mtu continuous natural gas-powered solution that provides low emissions and maximizes efficiency and uptime.”

Rolls-Royce collaborated on the project with Al Faris Equipment Rentals, a provider of equipment for heavy lifting, transport, and energy solutions in the Middle East and North Africa. Al Faris oversaw the installation of the power plant in the desert of the western region of Oman. The plant operates with compressed natural gas as fuel, lowering the emissions ceiling as natural gas produces fewer pollutants than burning coal or petroleum products.

Gensets based on the L64 FNER gas engine offer a high-power density and reach efficiencies of up to 44.4%—an improvement in fuel/energy utilization at high temperatures when compared to its predecessor. Rolls-Royce’s mtu gas gensets can operate on a blend of natural gas and hydrogen and are optimized for high performance with low emissions. These units are compact and continuously provide 100% capacity power.

The company first deployed its mtu Series 4000 gensets at the Tongjit starch factory in Thailand in October 2023. A 12-cylinder variant was used for the factory’s electricity and hot steam access requirements, but 8-V, 16-V, and 20-V cylinder configurations have been made available since the start of 2024.

mtu Series 4000 genset; Image Credits: mtu

Rolls-Royce’s 12-V genset has an electrical output of 1,521 kWe, peak electrical efficiency of 44.1%, and overall efficiency of more than 90%. Series 4000 L64FB biogas gensets have been designed with a focus on minimized life cycle costs and accessible maintenance. These gensets can reach up to 84,000 operating hours until major overhauls may be required.

“The new Series 4000 L64FB engines are designed for global use and are extremely robust, showing consistently high performance even under extreme conditions of ambient temperature, humidity and altitude,” said Vittorio Pierangeli, Vice President Global Powergen, Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

A later genset installation at the beginning of 2024, Base Power selected a Rolls-Royce mtu microgrid package to future-proof a site in Biggleswade, U.K., and provide renewable power. The microgrid solution includes three mtu CHP units, two mtu EnergyPack battery containers, two mtu emergency gensets, and a microgrid control system.

Each component asset is controlled by a central smart microgrid control system connected through a fiber optic communication network. The controller is able to identify load requirements, calculate efficient distribution of power, and deploy sufficient assets while reserving enough emergency power for grid or asset failures. The microgrid is connected to photovoltaic panels installed on the warehouse rooftops, serving as a complementary power generation asset.