Gas Engine Power Plant EPC — 1 MW to 100 MW
Fast, modular and highly efficient: gas engine plants are usually the quickest route from a gas source to reliable electricity.
Gas engine plants win on three counts — they are modular, they reach full load in minutes, and they deliver high electrical efficiency at small and medium scale. For industrial captive power, oilfield associated gas and grid support in islands, they are frequently the lowest-cost option per kWh delivered.
We design the plant around the gas you actually have. Composition, pressure, heating value and contaminants determine the engine specification, the gas treatment package and the derating. Getting this wrong is the single most common cause of underperforming gas plants in the region.
Where this plant type fits
- Industrial captive power — Cement, textile, food processing and chemical plants replacing grid supply or diesel generation.
- Oil and gas fields — Associated gas and flare-gas utilisation, converting a waste stream into dispatchable power.
- Island and off-grid systems — Modular units matched to load growth, with parallel operation for redundancy.
- Data centres and critical facilities — N+1 configurations with fast start and tight frequency control.
- Biogas and landfill gas — Digester gas and landfill gas engines with full gas conditioning.
- Utility peaking and grid support — Fast-start capacity for weak grids with high renewable penetration.
Quick facts
Typical project duration and full scope detail are set out below. For a specific site, ask us for a preliminary configuration.
Request a quoteTypical technical range
Values below are the range we design within. The final specification follows the fuel analysis and site conditions.
| Parameter | Range / Description |
|---|---|
| Capacity range | 1 – 100 MW (single unit 0.5 – 10 MW) |
| Fuel types | Natural gas, associated gas, biogas, landfill gas, LNG, dual fuel |
| Electrical efficiency | Up to 44–48% depending on engine and load profile |
| Configuration | Modular multi-unit, parallel operation, N+1 redundancy |
| Start-up time | Full load within 5 – 10 minutes |
| Gas treatment | Pressure regulation, filtration, knocking-out, drying, H2S removal as required |
| Heat recovery | Optional hot water, steam or absorption chilling (CHP) |
| Typical construction period | 8 – 16 months |
What is in and what is out
An explicit boundary is the difference between a quotation and a contract. This is the standard split for a gas engine power plants project.
- Gas composition and site load assessment
- Plant layout, basic and detailed design
- Gas engine generator sets and auxiliaries
- Gas treatment and pressure reduction station
- HV/LV electrical system, protection and SCADA
- Exhaust, ventilation, fire and gas detection
- Erection, commissioning and grid synchronisation
- Performance test and operator training
- Gas supply contract and upstream pipeline
- Grid interconnection facilities beyond the plant boundary
- Civil works outside the plant battery limit unless specified
- Financing and power purchase agreements
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions we are asked most often on this subject. If yours is not here, ask us directly.
Gas engine or gas turbine — which should we choose?
Below roughly 50 MW, gas engines are normally more efficient and more modular, with better part-load performance. Above that, combined cycle gas turbines take over on efficiency. For islanded grids and captive loads with variable demand, engines usually win even at larger sizes because of their part-load behaviour.
What gas quality is acceptable?
Methane number above 70 is comfortable for most modern engines; lower values need derating or a different engine type. We check H2S, CO2, water dew point and siloxanes (for landfill gas) during the gas assessment and specify treatment accordingly.
How long does a gas engine plant take to build?
For a 10–20 MW modular plant with a prepared site, 8–12 months is typical from contract to commercial operation. The engine package itself is usually the shortest lead item; the gas supply and grid connection are normally on the critical path.
Can the plant be expanded later?
Yes — modular expansion is one of the main reasons to choose engines. We design the electrical system, gas station and civil layout for a defined future capacity from day one, so adding units later does not require re-engineering.
Other solutions that may fit
Captive & Industrial Power Plants
When grid supply is unreliable or too expensive, a captive plant turns a cost centre into a controlled operating cost.
View solution →Combined Cycle Power Plants
Combined cycle is how you convert gas into the most electricity per unit of fuel at utility scale.
View solution →Tell us what you need to build.
Send us the fuel type, target capacity and site country. We will reply with a preliminary configuration, an indicative budget range and the questions we still need answered.