Diesel engine generators have dominated the standby power market for decades. However, vast improvements in gas engines have given them strong advantages over diesel, particularly in electric power applications like load management and combined heat and power (CHP).
In addition to standby power, gas generators provide numerous benefits for a wide range of applications across industries, especially where emission rules and fuel security are concerned. Plus, they can provide sustainable, reliable power to areas where that have a weak or no grid infrastructure. Keep reading to learn more about why natural gas generators are the clean, efficient, and affordable way to power your life.
Large commercial facilities can rack up significant savings with CHP systems that use a clean natural gas pipeline for fuel. These CHP systems are cost-effective, energy efficient, and produce less emissions than traditional energy sources. Resorts, shopping malls, high-rise office buildings, universities, data centers, and hospitals, as well as industrial plants, refineries, and district heating plants can all benefit from Cat CHP systems.
The applications for gas generators aren’t limited to a single industry. Gas generators can use a variety of gas sources for fuel, including biogas, natural, and landfill gases. This fuel flexibility provides a clean, renewable (and affordable) power source across multiple industries to meet fluctuating power demands. Here’s just a sample of how gas generators provide power solutions across industries:
The flexibility of gas generators is particularly advantageous in the utilities industry where power demands can fluctuate or where there’s an absence of a reliable centralized power plant. In these cases, electric utilities can operate Cat gas generator sets to continuously to serve base electrical loads. Cat gas generator sets are also commonly applied to economically address peak utility demands that occur daily or seasonally.
Cat gas generators are capable of using highly sustainable biogas as fuel. Biogas is derived from byproducts of agricultural, food processing, and industrial processes. Cat gas generator sets specifically designed to operate on biogas can reduce total operating costs resulting in big savings for users. Here’s how it works: Cat low-energy fuel generator sets are engineered to handle fuel with variations in methane content typical of biogas operations. Cat switchgear and master controls parallel the generator set to the local electrical grid to export renewable power at a premium to the local electric utility. Otherwise, power can be distributed and used locally. Furthermore, for more remote installations, the power produced can be consumed by the facilities on site, creating a self-sustaining powergrid.
Landfill gas, composed mostly of methane and carbon dioxide, is produced naturally as organic waste decomposes in landfills. Driven by the mandate of carbon reduction goals, modern sanitary landfills capture this gas for use as a renewable fuel in specially configured Cat landfill power systems. These systems deliver reliable and environmentally sound electricity to the local community.
Many wastewater treatment facilities use waste gas from plant processes as a fuel source for their operations. Gas, comprised of methane and carbon dioxide, is naturally generated by the wastewater digesters used in the water treatment process. Cat gas generator sets utilize the gas as fuel to provide the plant with both electricity and heat that serves the plant thermal loads and accelerates the wastewater treatment process.
Cat natural gas power plants can reliably support the operations associated with mining minerals such as copper, iron ore, gold, and silver in the absence of a reliable centralized electric utility. Mining power systems are designed to handle mining operations demanding transient load cycles. For coal mining operations, coal mine methane (CMM) gas is a byproduct of coal formations in subterranean coal seams and is released before or during active coal mining. Caterpillar has developed generator sets specifically for use with CMM gas.
Gas generators are at the forefront of a new, global energy transition. They’re an important contributor to emerging energy markets like electrical vehicles that the current grid is ill-prepared to meet. The current grid is vulnerable to unstable weather patterns, supply and demand imbalances, and cyber threats. In addition, EV charging creates heavy loads, which utilities can penalize rather than incentivize. Enter the dual-purpose microgrid. These local power generation platforms provide much-needed energy stability by using gas generators designed to convert dairy farm biogas into usable electricity. Not only can these microgrids provide local power, but they can also provide service to larger grid operators, creating stability, meeting demand, and offsetting the cost of microgrid operations.
Microgrids are also powerful tools for remote areas without consistent, reliable access to power or when traditional fuel is prohibitively expensive. With Cat hybrid microgrid solutions, industry sites, villages, and islands can enjoy unhindered access to power even when local grids are unreliable or nonexistent. With hybrid generators, users enjoy lower emissions, reduced fuel costs, and a significantly lower cost of ownership.
Worldwide population growth is driving an increasing demand for new sources of electric power generation. At the same time, an increasing focus on efficiency and reduced waste in the power generation sector is driving change in the use of alternative, gaseous fuels.
Today, Caterpillar is collaborating with dealers and customers around the world to develop Cat generator sets that can operate on specialty fuels such as syngas, coke oven gas, blast furnace gas, and high-energy gas. Due to the large variation in the composition and contaminants in these fuels, Caterpillar works closely with the local Cat Dealer and customer to evaluate a potential power solution to provide sustainable, reliable power.
Ranging from 100 to 4,500 ekW (100 to 4,500 kVA) in a single unit, our CAT gas generator sets are easy to select, permit and install. Our industrial and commercial gas generator sets are proven for reliable operation with a wide range of gaseous fuels, including natural gas, biogas from landfills and digesters, coal gas, propane, and alternative fuels. We build durable, low-life-cycle cost power systems that are integrated with controls, exhaust systems, fuel train, combined cooling heat & power skids and switchgear. In short, Cat gas generators will save you time and money while being easy on the environment and your bottom line. Explore our stock of Cat Gas generators to find a one-stop solution for your power needs.
