BELOIT, Wis.– Fairbanks Morse Engine, an EnPro Industries (NYSE: NPO) company, will supply a 3 MW combined-heat-and-power (CHP) system to general contractor SpawGlass for a power plant expansion at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston.
The Fairbanks Morse dual-fuel, opposed-piston, engine-driven system is designed to operate on either biodiesel fuel or natural gas and has been selected for its ability to meet the multiple requirements set for the project, said Steve Smith, Fairbanks Morse sales manager for the project. These requirements include helping the facility meet the VA’s requirements for the amount of power to be generated from renewable resources. Other project considerations were energy efficiency, reliability, fuel flexibility and the ability to meet stringent local emissions regulations.
The 12-cylinder, turbo-blower Fairbanks Morse genset will be a standby power unit. When in use, it will operate for a designated period on B99 biodiesel fuel, and for the remainder of its operating time, on natural gas, with a one percent biodiesel pilot. The electricity the system generates will be sent to the grid, offsetting the VA’s power consumption from the local utility. Heat from the engine will be recovered and used to heat water for the hospital.
The 3 MW Fairbanks Morse genset is one component of a 12 MW power plant expansion which will also include several smaller gensets fueled solely by biodiesel. This configuration is expected to provide the maximum in operating flexibility and dependability within the VA’s requirements for a reliable power supply and power generation from renewable energy sources.
Fairbanks Morse dual-fuel, opposed-piston engines have proven their reliability, logging millions of hours of running time in a wide variety of critical applications including base-load, peak-shaving and standby power generation. Fairbanks Morse engines also are a mainstay for emergency power generation on the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarines.
About Fairbanks Morse Engine
Fairbanks Morse is a worldwide leader in diesel and dual-fuel engine technology and manufacturing. The company’s mission is to provide the highest quality diesel and dual-fuel engines and generator sets, OEM parts, and factory trained field service support. Fairbanks Morse is a trusted provider of reliable engine drive solutions for a wide range of critical applications. These include base-load and standby power generation, emergency back-up power for nuclear plants, and ship propulsion and shipboard power for the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard and commercial vessels. More information is available at www.fairbanksmorse.com.
About EnPro Industries, Inc. (NYSE:NPO)
EnPro Industries, Inc. is a leader in sealing products, metal polymer and filament wound bearings, components and service for reciprocating compressors, diesel and dual-fuel engines and other engineered products for use in critical applications by industries worldwide. For more information about EnPro, visit www.enproindustries.com
