Flexible Solutions to Meet Your Power Generation Needs

GE Jenbacher engines run on either natural gas or a variety of other gases (e.g., biogas, landfill gas, coal mine gas, sewage gas, combustible industrial waste gases) and site-specific special gases.

A broad range of commercial, industrial and municipal customers use GE Jenbacher products for onsite generation of power, heat and cooling. Patented combustion systems, engine controls, and monitoring enable its power generation plants to meet the strictest emission standards, while offering the highest levels of efficiency, durability and reliability.

Gas Types:

Natural Gas: The natural gas segment includes the production and delivery of plants for decentralized energy supply based on natural gas as fuel. Since it is low in carbon, but has a high hydrogen content, natural gas has the most favorable carbon dioxide balance. The combustion of natural gas produces around 40 to 50 percent less carbon dioxide than when coal is burned to produce the same amount of energy.

Natural Gas Advantages

• Lowest emissions of all fossil fuels – The use of natural gas in gas engines is characterized the lowest CO2 emissions levels among fossil fuels, and particularly low emissions of SO2, NOx and particulate matter.
• Most important fossil energy source – Natural gas plays a major role in energy supply today and will become the most significant fossil energy medium in the next 50 years.
• Well developed natural gas supply system – The natural gas supply system is well developed and reliable. Gas engines are therefore an optimal technology for decentralized energy supply.

Flare Gas: In addition to classic natural gas, flare gas also forms part of this fuel segment. Flare gas is an associated gas obtained during crude oil exploration, largely consisting of methane and higher hydrocarbons. This composition results in a gas with low knocking resistance, which requires specially designed engines. The use of flare gas, which is generally available free of charge as a waste product, ensures a fuel source for power generation and , if required, the engines can also provide a heat supply for surrounding facilities. Consequently this problem gas can be eliminated, while being economically and practically used.

Biogas and Special Gases: The biogas and special gases segment is comprised of power plants that generate energy from landfills, wastewater, agriculture, coal mining, chemical plants, and other industries. Gases with a wide range of heating values are converted into energy in these processes. The environmentally appropriate disposal of problem gases is the primary concern in this market. The simultaneous energetic use of these gases for generating power ensures the economic viability of the power plants. The continuous development of its gas engines and the focus on special gas applications have made GE Jenbacher engines one of the world leaders in this market today. 

Biogas and Special Gas Advantages

• Highly efficient for power and heat generation where gas is often available as a waste product free of charge.
• Substitute for conventional fossil fuels and often considered renewable or green power.
• Alternative disposal of problem gases.
• Avoids venting methane (CH4) in the atmosphere.
• High potential for reduction of greenhouse gases. Methane is 21 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas.

Specific Applications:

Biogas: For a wide range of organic substances from agriculture, food processes and feed industries; anaerobic fermentation is a superior alternative to composting. Biogas – a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide – is formed in the fermentation process and serves as a high-energy, renewable, green power fuel that can substitute for fossil fuel energy. Additionally, biogas is characterized by CO2 neutrality meaning that an increased utilization of fossil fuels is avoided and thereby fossil fuel CO2 emissions are reduced. Using biogas in gas engines promotes proper waste disposal and also allows for an efficient and profitable energy supply with low emissions. Additionally, the end products from the fermentation of the biomass can be utilized as fertilizer.

Landfill Gas: Landfill gas is created during the decomposition of organic substances in the waste and consists of methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. If this gas escapes uncontrolled, it hampers the cultivation of the landfill site while at the same time contributing harmful greenhouse gas to the atmosphere. To prevent this and to avoid offensive smells, dangerous fires, or the migration of landfill gas into the water ways; the gas must be continuously extracted under controlled conditions. With a heat value of approximately 450 Btu/scf, landfill gas constitutes a high-value, renewable, green power fuel for gas engines and can therefore be economically used for power generation.

Wastewater Gas: Wastewater sludge is created as a waste product in the mechanical, biological or chemical cleaning stage of wastewater treatment plants. The sludge is transferred to a digester where an anaerobic fermentation process takes place. The fermentation produces biogas consisting of 60 – 70% methane and 30 – 40% carbon dioxide. This composition makes wastewater gas highly suitable for combustion in gas engines. The renewable, green electric energy produced by the gas engine can be utilized for the treatment plants as well as for feeding into the public power grid. The thermal energy can be used for heating the wastewater sludge, the system digester or to offset the treatment plant’s other heat requirements.

Coal Mine Gas: When coal is mined underground, the released methane gas forms a highly explosive mixture when combined with air. The main component of coal mine gas is methane (25-70%), which develops during the geochemical conversion of organic substances into coal (carbonization). Coal mine gas is present both as liberated gas in fissures, faults and pores, and as adsorbed gas on the inner surface of the coal and neighboring rock. Combustion of coal mine gas in gas engines is practical as an environmental and a safety problem is effectively resolved, while an otherwise lost source of energy is economically used. Additionally, when the gas is used in a gas engine conventional fossil fuels are offset, reducing methane greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere.

Syngas, Pyrolysis gas, Wood gas from Gasification Processes: The production of special gases through various gasification processes is becoming increasingly important for the use of alternative energy sources. Various base materials (e.g. domestic and commercial waste, light shredder fractions, bulk waste, wood, meat and bone meal, old tires) are subjected to high-temperature gasification processes, such as fixed bed, fluidized bed, or pyrolytic gasification. The resulting gases require a highly sophisticated gas engine since their composition usually changes very rapidly. Depending on the gasification process, the combustible components mainly consist of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane. Sophisticated gas treatment, rapid reaction to changing heating values, accurate monitoring of the combustion process in the engine, and effective system coordination between the engine and gasifier, are only some the complex requirements for gas engines using such fuels.

CO2 Fertilization in Greenhouses: Heat, light and CO2 promote the growth of plants in greenhouses. With artificial lighting, plants absorb even more CO2. If the greenhouse atmosphere is enriched with CO2, plant growth and consequently the harvest yield can be increase by up to 40%. This process – also called CO2 fertilization – is able to make use of the CO2 contained in the exhaust gas of a gas engine through catalytic converter purification. As a result, greenhouses using gas engine cogeneration systems can cover the power and heat requirement for the artificial lighting and heating in an economical manner, while effectively utilizing the climate-relevant fossil CO2 of the engine exhaust.

Gases from the Steel Industry: Among the broad variety of special gas applications, two that stand out in terms of customer demand and GE expertise are coke gas and LD-converter gas created during the production process in steel factories.

Combined Heat and Power Applications:

A Variety of Uses for Waste Heat: Growing ecological awareness, coupled with the knowledge that fossil sources of primary energy are limited, compels us to make more economical use of our existing sources of energy. Combined heat and power (CHP) plants generate electricity and heat locally where they are needed. They offer maximum efficiency in the conversion of energy and comply with the most stringent emissions standards.

Cogeneration Systems: GE’s Jenbacher gas engines are ideally suited for cogeneration plants. With optimized electrical efficiency, our cogeneration plants provide optimal integration of all available kinds of heat from the engine.

Hot Water Production: The waste heat from CHP plant operation can be used to base heat hot water.

Steam Generation: The waste heat from CHP plants can be used to generate steam for industrial operations, hospitals and food processing operations.

Trigeneration: Absorption equipment uses the waste heat from a CHP module as energy for cooling purposes.

Drying Processes: The waste heat from gas engines can be used for drying processes, such as in the ceramics, brickworks and animal feed industries. It can also be used for slurry drying, resulting in a marketable fertilizer.