Rolls-Royce enters partnership with 2G Energy in gas-powered generators sets

On 8 November 2019, the Power Systems business unit of technology group Rolls-Royce sealed a contract of cooperation with 2G Energy, specialist in gas-powered generator sets and CHP modules based in Heek in North Rhine-Westphalia. The contract covers the mutual supply of gas-powered gensets.

Rolls-Royce is to procure from 2G gas-powered generator sets and cogeneration modules in the 250 to 550 kW power range with and without heat extraction. After adding its own controllers and other specific components, Rolls-Royce will then market the systems under its MTU product and solution brand. In return, Rolls-Royce will supply 2G with MTU gas-powered generator sets based on Series 4000 engines delivering 776 to 2,535 kW. These will be used by 2G in its CHP modules for on-site generation of electrical power and heat.  Now into their fourth generation, the Series 4000 engines boast excellent electrical and thermal efficiency, outstanding load switching capabilities, and a power density unrivalled on the market.

“Our partnership with 2G allows us to enhance our product portfolio with CHP modules that tick all the boxes in terms of energy efficiency and ecological soundness. Strategically, that brings us a big step closer to becoming a solutions provider,” said Dr Petar Pelemis, Vice President Corporate Strategy & Product Management in Rolls-Royce's Power Systems business unit. The 2G products are to replace CHP modules at the lower end of the power range that have hitherto been based on MTU Series 400 gas engines.

“Cogeneration modules from Rolls-Royce with gas-powered generators currently delivering 220 to 11,800 kW lend themselves ideally to use in microgrids, which are autonomous power networks integrating renewable energies with batteries and, for example, gas-powered generator sets,” explained Andreas Görtz, Vice President Power Generation at Rolls-Royce. “The microgrid's smart controller ensures optimal deployment of the available energy sources, thereby reducing climate-damaging CO2 emissions. If the gas engine driving the CHP module uses biogas or synthetic fuel made using electrical power from renewables, then the CHP module can make a genuine contribution to green energy, both as a stand-alone unit and as part of a microgrid. The fact that 2G has chosen to rely on MTU gas generator sets based on our renowned Series 4000 units proves that we are at the forefront of technology. This endorsement will further strengthen our position on the gas genset market,” he said.

Christian Grotholt, CEO of 2G Energy AG, sees the partnership as the culmination of many years of development work at 2G aimed at achieving the dual goal of high efficiency with low engine life-cycle costs. “The combination of climate-friendly energy conversion with high availability and low service costs provides operators with a solid basis for securing the long-term profitability of their CHP modules. Those are the principles that guide development of our CHP solutions, which are also configured to meet the growing demand for operational flexibility. It is our conviction that CHP modules based on gas engines using natural gas, biogas or, for example, hydrogen, will form the technological backbone of an energy turnaround that is economically viable.”

Grotholt is also expecting cooperation with Rolls-Royce to strengthen 2G's position in the 50 to 550 kW market and thereby drive progress in the creation of customer benefits: “We intend to continually expand our technological leadership by pursuing research and development work that takes us beyond the realm of the gas engine and into the domain of software development and the digitalization of equipment and processes.”

The mutual supply contract goes hand-in-hand with a service agreement providing for the mutual exchange of rights to perform all-round service on the products manufactured by the other party. That goes to ensure optimal servicing of all gas-powered generator sets installed in the partners' respective plants.