Benefits of Using Natural Gas Generators in Standby Applications

For critical facilities, like hospitals, data centers, food and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and oil & gas-related sites, a constant supply of power is indispensable. Standby rental power plants guarantee the continuous supply of reliable electricity in the event of power failure. Standby temporary power systems fundamentally have limited hours of operation, because they are only activated when the power is cut from the primary electricity source. Therefore, the more hours the standby power station operates, the more important the fuel choice becomes.

Among the rental power technologies available, diesel generators still remain the most popular for standby applications, largely due to economy, wide availability of fuel, fuel safety, ease of installation and typically better transient (load acceptance) capabilities. However, it is notable that generators running on natural gas are progressively gaining ground as a standby power solution, largely owing to ease of maintenance and environmental stewardship. The market expansion of such technology is spurred by the availability of inexpensive locally extracted natural gas, strict emission regulations in many countries around the world, and an increasing number of longer-term temporary power requirements.

One of the most salient advantages of using natural gas in standby application is the availability of a reliable fuel supply. Natural gas lines produce a round-the-clock supply that runs underground, which means that they are generally protected from natural disasters, like storms, floods and hurricanes. In addition, this set-up also eliminates the need for fuel storage tanks, which in turn will require refueling, regulation and maintenance.

Natural gas rental power plants also see reduced expenditure related to manpower, fuel storage and fuel treatment. A standby power station usually operates between 50 and 100 hours per year, at most 500. Calculating using the prevailing fuel price, Caterpillar declares that a standby power station running on natural gas operated for only 50 hours per year can save more than USD 15,000 per year in fuel costs. Therefore, utilizing natural gas-powered standby power plants during an extended outage can considerably reduce operating costs.

Another benefit to opting for natural gas standby power plants is reduced exhaust emissions. Studies conducted in different rental power plants sites around the world show that natural gas temporary power stations can surpass the worldwide NOx emission requirements, emitting only 250 mg/Nm3 even without after treatment. Running on a lean mixture of fuel and air, lean-burn natural gas gensets release up to five times less NOx and virtually zero particulate matter.

Natural gas gensets are also used as emergency, continuous or peaking power. Do you want to learn more about large-scale natural gas generator sets and their wide range of applications? Visit our website at www.altaaqaglobal.com.

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