3 MW CHP system to power inner London development

International consultancy and construction company Mace has selected U.K.-based distributed power developer Clarke Energy to supply two Jenbacher J420 natural gas-fueled engines from GE’s Distributed Power business (NYSE: GE).

The engines will provide environmentally friendlier, more sustainable power and heat for the first phase of the £380 million Nova, Victoria, redevelopment project, an area of London previously known as Victoria Circle.

Land Securities are transforming the area by providing new high-quality apartments, restaurants and modern offices. The first phase of the project, overseen by Mace, will include three new buildings and landscaped public space, and in keeping with the project’s environmental sustainability goals, GE’s Jenbacher units will run a combined heat and power (CHP) configuration to generate 2.96 MW for the area—enough electricity to power more than 5,700 standard U.K. homes.

CHP offers greater carbon savings compared to traditional heating and grid-based power, and excess heat from the engines will be used to help heat the Nova buildings.

Once operational in 2016, the CHP configuration will power the on-site Energy Centre, export electricity to the grid and provide heat to Nova residents and businesses as well as reduce carbon emissions. Based on 8,000 operating hours per year, the ecomagination qualified Jenbacher gas engines are expected to offset more than 6,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Clarke Energy CEO Jamie Clarke said the development “will prove to be a great step forward for the capital city’s energy consumption.”

Mace and Clarke previously collaborated on The Shard tower CHP project in London, where similar Jenbacher technology provides highly efficient on-site power and heat for the tallest building in the European Union and second tallest, free-standing structure in the UK.

Commissioning of the plant is not expected before the end of 2016, in line with completion of the first phase of the Nova redevelopment project. GE’s gas engines offer an electrical efficiency of 41.5 per cent and a thermal efficiency of 45.5 per cent by recovering hot water from the engine jacket, lube oil circuit, intercooler and exhaust gases—providing a total CHP efficiency of 87 per cent for industry-leading efficiency.

Source: COSPP