ROLLS-ROYCE COMMISSIONS FIRST BDEW-APPROVED mtu ONSITE ENERGY GENSET AT INDUSTRIAL BAKERY

• Series 2000 and 4000 diesel gensets from mtu satisfy German grid code
• First certified genset goes into service at industrial bakery

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN / GERMANY – Rolls-Royce is so far the only manufacturer of diesel gensets in Germany to have been awarded accreditation by the BDEW (German Association of Energy & Water Industries). The certificate applies to mtu Onsite Energy diesel gensets in the 600 to 3,200 kWe power range, which meet all of the association's requirements with respect to the German grid code. The operators of these Onsite Energy power plants are therefore authorized to feed the power they generate into the public power grid. The certified products are based on proven standard gensets from mtu based on Series 2000 and 4000 engines whose electrical and electronic components have been configured and fine-tuned according to the special requirements of the grid code. M.O.E. Moeller Operating Engineering GmbH was engaged to provide verification. The brand mtu Onsite Energy is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems within the Land & Sea division of Rolls-Royce.

"Armed with this certificate, we see ourselves in a very strong market position with our diesel gensets," said Matthias Vogel, head of the Power Generation business at Rolls-Royce Power Systems. He went on to explain that with large power stations being closed down, there has been significant growth in distributed power generation based on wind, water and solar energy. This transition requires new ways of thinking and new technologies. The now accredited capabilities of the gensets for contributing to frequency and voltage stability, and for helping to restore the power supply in the event of a black-out, generally enhance power grid reliability.   "Our emergency gensets not only protect people and material assets – they also have the task of providing extra power, which is of great value, both to the plant in which they operate and the national economy as a whole," explained Vogel. Germany has played a pioneering role in the promotion of grid codes.

"For us to be accredited, wide-ranging adjustments had to be made to our genset configuration, our protection and control systems, and to our measurements and simulations," said Jürgen Winterholler, head of systems development in Power Generation at Rolls-Royce Power Systems. The certified gensets must be able to perform two essential tasks: during normal power grid operation, they must support the grid operator in maintaining quality criteria such as power grid voltage, and a grid frequency of 50 Hz. In the event of a power grid disruption, they must be capable of generating power continuously in order to prevent a black-out.   "Our Series 400 and 4000 gas gensets have already been certified, which means that virtually the entire product portfolio of mtu Onsite Energy now stands available, with accreditation, to our customers," said Jürgen Winterholler. These systems, together with the vast expertise accumulated by development engineers at mtu, mean that the company is excellently equipped to deal with an extension of requirements across Europe and worldwide. New possibilities are also opened up for its customers in the re-structured power markets of the future.

One of the first BDEW-certified diesel gensets from mtu Onsite Energy has now been installed and commissioned in an industrial bakery in Germany. It is based on an 18-cylinder Series 2000 diesel engine and delivers 1,000 kW. Since mid-September, it has been used as a back-up in the event of a power outage for safeguarding the production of frozen bakery products. When power demand peaks, it also switches in to grid-parallel operation. This occurs for example, at midday, when production is running at full swing, and an uninterrupted flow of power is needed for lighting, conveyors, refrigerators, the frost plant, and for regulation and control of the baking lines. To deploy the genset for peak power generation and possibly for operating reserve at a later date, it had to comply with the new grid code requirements set by the German Association of the Energy and Water Industries (BDEW).