A First For Rolls In Australia

Rolls-Royce will deliver 15 medium speed gas gensets from its Bergen Engines brand to power the Iron Bridge Magnetite Project in Western Australia, an unincorporated joint venture between Fortescue Metals Group subsidiary FMG Iron Bridge and Formosa Steel IB.

The new contract will be Rolls-Royce’s first project with medium-speed engines for stationary power supply in Australia. Rolls-Royce and its agent Penske Australia signed a contract with Contract Power for the engines.

The gensets are based on the Rolls-Royce Bergen 20-cylinder B36:45 gas engine, which was introduced to the global market at the end of 2018. Through the Pilbara Generation Project, the Rolls-Royce Bergen gas gensets will be integrated with a 150 MW solar PV farm and battery storage. The hybrid energy system will be connected to the new transmission network Fortescue is building in the Pilbara, ensuring that the right amount of electricity is supplied in a reliable, efficient and environmentally friendly manner.

“The new Rolls-Royce Bergen gas engines are designed for different operating modes and can be used to generate base-load, peak power or operate in combined cycles,” said Jon Erik Røv, managing director of Bergen Engines. “The engines are well suited for remote locations and have excellent capability to meet quick and frequent load changes, which is essential in microgrids.”

“We are excited to partner with Contract Power on this critical infrastructure project as we introduce the Bergen medium speed portfolio to the Australian market,” said Hamish Christie-Johnston, managing director of Penske Australia. “Penske Australia sees this as an opportunity to set a new benchmark for medium-speed gas power stations in the Pilbara region and we are highly committed to the success of the project.”

The engines will be shipped from Bergen, Norway in the spring of 2021.