On-Site Power

Mexico-based manufacturing site taps Rolls-Royce mtu gen-sets for cogeneration plant

Mexico-based manufacturing site taps Rolls-Royce mtu gen-sets for cogeneration plant
(Rolls-Royce mtu Series 500 generator set)

Rolls-Royce Power Systems will deliver its Minnesota-based mtu Series 500 generator set to provide combined heat and power (CHP) for a lubricant manufacturing plant in Mexico.

Automotive OEM supplier Raloy Lubricantes selected the mtu Series 500 gen-sets for powering operations at the Santiago Tianquistenco facility. In addition to the electricity used at the plant, heat from exhaust will warm up thermal oil for mixing processes.

At the same time, thermal energy from jacket heat will be recaptured and run through an absorption chiller to produce chilled water for cooling plastic bottles manufactured in Raloy’s sister company, Thermfluidos.

The new Series 500 generator set at Raloy’s manufacturing plant is expected to be commissioned by April 2022.

“It is not common to work with a customer that is ready to embrace new technology and lead an industry, as it has been with Raloy,” said Javier Gonzalez, Senior Manager of Gas System Sales, Americas, at Rolls-Royce Power Systems. “Raloy knows and trusts the high quality of our products and this added with their genuine interest of developing sustainable processes, is why they decided to put them to work in their operations.”

The mtu Series 500 is the new successor to the Series 400 and reportedly improves on engine efficiency and generates 30 percent more power, according to Rolls-Royce. The system is dual fuel, available to run on either natural gas or biogas, and can be ready for a blend of up to 10 percent carbon-free hydrogen.

Raloy Lubricantes makes motor oil and other automotive and generator-set lubricants. The company is 100-percent Mexican-owned and employs more than 200 people.

MTU became part of Rolls-Royce when the latter acquired Tognum Corp. in 2011.

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On-site power, hydrogen and CHP all are topics of content sessions happening at POWERGEN International live Jan. 26-28 in Dallas. Registration is now open.