Rolls-Royce reinforcing UK grid stability with mtu gas gensets
30/04/2025
With intermittent renewable energy sources becoming the cornerstone of the energy mix, peaking plants – power plants that generate back-up electricity during periods of high demand – will play an increasingly critical role in bridging supply gaps.
This winter, the proportion of coal in the UK’s electricity mix fell below 1%. Instead, the country is relying on wind and solar energy, nuclear power, biomass and mtu gas gensets.
Terra Firma Energy recently commissioned a new plant in Droitwich Spa, UK, with two Rolls-Royce mtu 20V4000 L64 FNER gas gensets delivering a total power of 5 MW. When discrepancies in supply occur, the generators can be deployed at short notice and provide the power needed to meet demand.
“Usually, these generators operate between 1000 and 2500 hours per year,” explained Ben Howkins, Sales Manager at Rolls-Royce Solutions UK. “But due to the unusually cold winter coupled with a need for greater grid capacity, operational hours this year are forecasted to exceed this.”
Rolls-Royce mtu gensets provided the optimum solution for Terra Firma due to their high efficiency and low emissions. As a bonus, the gensets are also approved for use with a hydrogen mixture as soon as this becomes available.
After travelling from the production site in Augsburg, Germany, to the UK, the generators were installed in containers by Rolls-Royce’s long-standing power station equipment partner Yellow Power Ltd.
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| Rolls-Royce mtu gas gensets generate a back-up energy supply during periods of high demand |
“The launch of operations at our Droitwich site is a testament to the power of partnership and shared vision,” said
William Davies, Managing Director of Terra Firma Energy. “Each of our collaborators has played a crucial role in bringing this project to fruition, ensuring it delivers flexible, reliable energy to meet the challenges of a modern grid.”
Gas genset power plants can be scaled up as modular, containerised units within just 12 months and can be easily installed anywhere there is access to the grid and gas points.
The mtu gensets in Droitwich could, if required, be on full load within just 120 s. As they usually only operate at full power two or three times a day for a few hours at a time, their maintenance and overhaul costs remain low over the entire lifecycle of the genset.
“I am proud that we are contributing to the energy transition in the UK with our products,” Ben added. “Our gensets strengthen the local energy infrastructure and meet the growing demand for reliable and flexible power generation.”
Over 500 of the company’s mtu gas engines are already being used in gas engine power stations in the UK capacity market and new ones, such as the two in Droitwich, are constantly being added.
