Page 16 - Piston Engine-Based Power Plants

An Introduction to Piston Engine Power Plants 9

Table 1.1 Annual Reciprocating Engine Installed Capacity by Type
Engine Type Average Annual Installed Capacity, 2013 16 (MW)
Diesel engines 45,000 50,000
Dual fuel engines 100 500
Fuel oil engines 500 1000
Natural gas engines 4000 5000
Total 49,600 56,500
Source: Decentralized Energy 2

engines, globally, Table 1.1 presents figures for the annual capacity of
reciprocating engines installed across the world, by engine type during
the years 2013 16. Based on the figures in the table, the largest cate-
gory in terms of capacity during this period was diesel engines with an
annual installed capacity of between 45 GW and 50 GW each year.
Diesel engines were popular throughout the world during this period,
and earlier, but the biggest market for these engines in the middle of
the second decade of the 21st century was in regions of Africa and
Asia where power demand has been rising but the grid is weak, so sup-
ply is either unavailable or unreliable. In the developed world, emis-
sion regulations are limiting the use of diesel engines and cleaner
engine types are preferred.

Natural gas is the clean fuel of choice for reciprocating engines but
where the supply of this is intermittent or unreliable, dual fuel engines
that can burn both liquid fuel and gas are popular. Markets for these
engines include Africa and Asia and well as the Middle East and
South America. The average annual installation of this type of engine
was 100 500 MW between 2013 and 2016. Another category of recip-
rocating engine burns fuel oil. This is a heavy oil fuel and it is most
widely used in countries that have their own oil supplies such as the
Middle East. The latter remains the region where this type of engine is
most popular but there are declining markets in both Asia and South
America. Between 2013 and 2016 the average annual installed capacity
for this type of engine was 500 1000 MW.

2 Dina Darshini, How big is the gas-based distributed power generation market? And will it grow?
Decentralized Energy, 30 January 2017.