Caption: Deutz natural gas genset engine series
Annual installations of natural gas generator sets
(gensets) are expected to grow from 12.9 GW in 2015 to more
than 27.1 GW in 2024, according to a new report from
Navigant Research.
Used for emergency standby, prime, peaking, or continuous
power, natural gas-fired gensets are poised for rapid growth
in the coming years, particularly in markets where
inexpensive natural gas is widely available, such as North
America.
“The reciprocating engines used in natural gas gensets
represent a widespread and mature technology used for all
types of power generation, from small portable gensets to
larger industrial engines that power generators of several
megawatts,” said Taylor Embury, research analyst with
Navigant Research. “These engines also come in a variety of
configurations that can serve multiple applications.”
The higher capital costs and fuel delivery infrastructure
requirements of natural gas gensets have, in the past, been
a disadvantage versus
diesel gensets. However, today, the line between
natural gas and diesel gensets is becoming blurred with
the increasing popularity of dual-fuel gensets, according to
the report.
These systems offer the energy content of diesel while
taking advantage of the low price and low emissions of
natural gas.
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