This story was covered by Engineering News on 4 June 2024.
Decentral Energy, a leading provider of distributed energy solutions, has successfully completed the installation of a 1.337MW Guascor Energy 56HM stationary gas engine and a Marelli Motori MJB 450 MB4 1500kVA generator at a growing FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) manufacturer in Rosslyn, Pretoria. This innovative solution not only enables the factory to expand but also reduces its future carbon footprint and achieves energy independence from the grid.
The FMCG manufacturer encountered a barrier to growth: an unreliable and insufficient power supply in their industrial area. Moreover, given their continuous production process and the substantial cost associated with line stoppages, an uninterrupted power supply was essential. Decentral Energy stepped in, designing, and installing a solution that operates as an islanded mini grid, entirely freeing the factory from dependence on the city and therefore Eskom’s grid.
The 1.337MW gas engine delivers power at an operating cost lower than the city’s grid electricity. This, coupled with gas’s lower carbon intensity compared to the coal-heavy grid power at point of use, reduces the factory’s carbon footprint – all while adhering to South African emission standards.
The factory operates outside a gas pipeline area. The solution required the acquisition of three compressed gas trailers to provide a “virtual pipeline” for storage and transportation, allowing the factory to utilise gas as a transition fuel that burns ten times cleaner than an equivalent diesel engine. This project further highlights the role of gas as a bridge to a more sustainable energy future.
This gas project builds upon Decentral Energy’s recent work commissioning a 3MW gas engine and alternator set at a biogas plant outside Pretoria. Louis Moll, Head of Decentral Energy’s Generator Team, emphasises the importance of both LNG and biogas for South African businesses: “LNG gas offers a cleaner transition fuel, while biogas provides dispatchable renewable energy. Both deserve consideration as part of a business’s future energy mix.”
Christian Bode, Director of Decentral Energy, adds, “Louis joined us just six months ago, bringing an extraordinary passion for diesel and gas stationary engines and their role in power generation. His expertise has proven invaluable in delivering innovative solutions like this.”
