Rolls-Royce is introducing a new modular solution for gas engine power plants that delivers between five and several hundred megawatts of power, depending on requirements. The turnkey plants are described as H2-ready, enabling future operation with hydrogen. Based on preconfigured, factory-tested modules rated at 10 MW, 20 MW, and 30 MW, the plants can be connected to the grid within 12–18 months of ordering.
The plants are intended to provide backup generation capacity and compensate for fluctuations in wind and solar output. They are designed to bridge supply gaps lasting from around 10 hours to several weeks, particularly during periods of low wind and low sunlight. In some applications, the modular plants can serve as a bridging solution, supplying continuous power until a grid connection or another power source, such as nuclear, becomes available, after which the gensets can switch to backup operation.
Tobias Ostermaier, President Stationary Power Solutions at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, explained: “With our modular gas engine power plants, we are implementing the German Government’s Power Plant Strategy quickly and economically. Our partner network ensures speed and local value creation. Utilities and data centers around the world rely on our solutions – more than 17 gigawatts of installed capacity speak for themselves.”
The company stated that decentralized gas engine power plants can increase grid resilience and support the further integration of renewable energy by relying on many smaller units instead of a few large, centralized units. These units can be switched on or off individually and operated at optimum efficiency, which is presented as beneficial for both economic performance and climate protection, especially when using biomethane and biogas.
Michael Stipa, Senior Vice President Strategy, Business and Product Development Stationary Energy Solutions at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, said: “True resilience comes from decentralization, not centralization. An energy system based on many distributed, modular generation units is less susceptible to large-scale disruptions and bottlenecks. Modular gas engine power plants offer exactly this structure.”
