Natural Gas: Powering the Engines that Keep You Powered

Posted by rlnenergyservices on April 21st, 2016

For those companies in the business of producing power on an industrial scale, either for someone else or for their own projects, the newer generations of power generator sets (gensets) offer a more appealing choice in natural gas.

Up until just a few years ago, the common consensus was that diesel was the best fuel type for cost efficiency and reliable equipment. But technologies in natural gas engines have caught up on reliability, the cost of natural gas has been on a consistent decline with no indicators of rising back up, and natural gas is still the cleaner-burning option. Not only is it better for the environment, it also helps companies avoid financial penalties from environmental protection regulations.

Natural gas engines are also quieter, which is better for the environment in its own right, but it’s also better for working conditions for operators and maintenance crews.

Nowadays, without even considering the cost of the fuel itself, natural gas engines are typically the more cost-effective choice for on-location gensets. Below 150 kW, these engines can perform as efficiently as any diesel engine. And for applications where greater power is needed, these power generators can form parallel configurations of the smaller-scale engines, creating a cumulative effect to reach the kW requirement for the project.

Parallel systems like that support load sharing and management. This enables the smaller-kW engines to perform in tandem at peak efficiency, removing the necessity for a poorer-performing, higher-kW single set. This is what makes natural gas gensets the most cost-effective option for mini-grids and other variable load applications.

This type of setup also comes with greater reliability and more cost efficient maintenance, adding to the already-significant cost savings. This formation is also scalable, so no company need pay for more than they can use, and as long as there is space to add more, no grid is limited to a certain kW capacity.

The cost of fuel is something that will always be in question. As mentioned, there are currently no signs to indicate a sudden sharp rise in the cost of natural gas; but such changes are usually unexpected. There was a storage well in Southern California that leaked its gas stores into the air above Los Angeles that lasted for five months--that sort of thing is never expected, but obviously, they are always a possibility. There are also North American politics at play that could have significant ramifications on the cost of natural gas, but until those ideas become reality, things look stable.

But without considering the cost of fuel, natural gas generators are still a more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly option!

About the Author:

RLN Energy Services is an Edmonton, Alberta based company that specializes in the sale and resale of heavy power equipment. It is a privately held corporation with a team of highly experienced & skilled technicians in mechanical and electrical industries. RLN Energy Services provides sales of various power system equipment that includes natural gas equipment, portable power plants, diesel generator sets, turbine powered equipment & more. Along with the sale of power equipment, they also focus on training specific services for the maintenance, safety, switching operations & associated tools in the industry.