Hannover Fair: Rolls-Royce unveils new MTU 8-cylinder gas engine for power generation

• MTU Series 4000 L64 unit now available with 8, 12, 16 and 20 cylinders

• Natural gas units suitable for on-site power generation in building complexes, industrial and commercial applications

• Broad portfolio of products and services showcased at Hanover fair

 Rolls-Royce has now rounded off its Series 4000 portfolio with the 8-cylinder version of its efficiency and power-enhanced Series 4000 gas engine. Starting in April of last year, the 12, 16 and 20-cylinder versions of the Series 4000 L64 gas engine with outputs from 1,523 to 2,535 kWe were introduced gradually onto the market for installation in on-site power generation systems carrying the MTU Onsite Energy brand. The 8V 4000 L64 unit extends the lower end of the Series 4000 power output range and delivers a 30% increased electrical power output of 1,012 kWe. It achieves 44% electrical efficiency in power generation. The engine is being unveiled to the public at the Hanover industrial trade fair and will be available to deliver from this December. The MTU and the MTU Onsite Energy brands are part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems within the Land & Sea division of Rolls-Royce.  

MTU Onsite Energy at the Hanover trade show in Hall 27, Booth J50

Besides being able to view the new 8-cylinder gas engine, visitors to the MTU Onsite Energy booth will also be able to learn a lot more about the company's up-to-date portfolio of products and services for gas engines. Apart from straightforward power generation systems, this includes high-capacity compact cogeneration modules for combined heat and power (and cooling) with outputs up to 2,530 kWe. MTU ValueCare – a programme of after-sales services that can be individually tailored to suit the customer's specifications – rounds off the repertoire. It includes made-to-fit maintenance agreements, extended warranties and swift, reliable delivery of high-quality original MTU spare parts developed and manufactured in-house. MTU Onsite Energy’s overall portfolio also features system solutions based on diesel engines for generating emergency, base load and peak power. 

Power-enhanced engines used in combined heat and power plants for first time 

Power-enhanced Series 4000 gas units are suitable for use in straightforward generator sets for electrical power generation on site, or in compact cogeneration modules that generate electrical power and heat simultaneously. These are often installed in building complexes such as hospitals or industrial plants to keep them up and running.   

Compact cogeneration modules are indeed the ideal solution for hospitals. On the one hand, their need for a lot of hot water, heating in winter and cooling in summer make their thermal energy demand very high. On the other, they also have a big electrical power requirement for lighting and medical equipment and systems. This is why the university clinic of Freiburg recently chose to purchase a cogeneration module based on a 16-cylinder gas engine from MTU Onsite Energy that grows the capacity of its energy centre for providing reliable heat and electrical power.    

Trade and industry are the giant energy consumers and crucially depend on an uninterrupted flow of electrical power, heat, or cooling for sustaining production operations. Compact cogeneration modules present the more efficient alternative, since they produce heat and electrical power simultaneously and also allow any electricity surpluses to be fed into the local power grid. Major businesses such as Britain's Crisp Malting Group, chemical supplier BK Giuliani, semi-conductor manufacturer NXP Semiconductors, and baby food producer MIG Herford – not to mention lighting manufacturer Osram and food industry giant Cargill – have all chosen to rely on one or more compact cogeneration modules from MTU Onsite Energy based on power-enhanced Series 4000 units. These provide a reliable source of cost-effective, ecologically sound energy to keep production processes up and running.