Aggreko, world leader in the supply of temporary power and temperature control, has launched a new 1 MW engine developed in conjunction with global engineering and technology consultancy Ricardo plc and engine manufacturer Cummins. The engine – the G3+ -- is the product of a three-year £6 million development program. This is the first time Aggreko has developed its own engine technology.
The development team set out to create the world’s most efficient 1 MW diesel engine for utility power that could also run on heavy fuel oil and be retrofitted into Aggreko’s existing fleet of 4,500 gensets.
The G3+ is a significant upgrade on the existing G3 engines that currently power the majority of Aggreko’s fleet. The new engine produces 14 percent more power at 12 percent lower cost per MW than a standard G3 engine. The G3+HFO variant of the new engine is also the first of its kind, Aggreko said. The company said the G3+ produces power at about half the cost per MW than traditional diesel alternatives.
The new engine is being installed into Aggreko’s existing fleet. Aggreko also received its first HFO order, a 56-MW installation in the Caribbean. The company plans to convert the remainder of its fleet to the G3+ as part of their 25,000-hour service.
“I am delighted to be able to announce this significant step forward for Aggreko and the temporary power industry as a whole,” said Aggreko chief executive Rupert Soames. “We set the development team some testing targets and they rose to the challenge and I would like to thank Ricardo and Cummins for their support. The G3+ engine sets new industry standards in terms of output and cost efficiency and puts us in an even stronger position with customers. Meanwhile the HFO variant means that Aggreko is the only temporary power provider in the world that can offer customers a full range of fuels – diesel, gas or HFO at prices that compare increasingly favorably to those of permanent power.”
Aggreko plc is based in Scotland with U.S. headquarters in Houston. Aggreko is No. 6 on the RER 100.
