| Piston power
Cat’s new gas genset offers ‘diesel like’ performance
Cat G3520 Fast Response genset. (Caterpillar)
Now available worldwide, the 3.1 MW Cat G3520 Fast Response gas fuelled generator set is engineered for applications where uninterrupted power is essential. It significantly reduces downtime through diesel-like performance and enables customers to participate in utility- sponsored programmes, creating new avenues for operational cost recovery and revenue generation, says Caterpillar.
The Cat G3520 Fast Response can start and accept load from a cold start in under 10 seconds, aligning with NFPA (US National Fire Protection Association) 110 requirements. This
standard supports the provision of dependable backup power for healthcare institutions, data centres, emergency service centres, and high-occupancy buildings where operational continuity is essential.
The generator set is available in both 50 and 60 Hz applications.
Caterpillar says the Cat G3520 Fast Response generator set offers users opportunities for additional revenue via participation in utility demand and emergency response programmes that incentivise users to reduce or shift electricity consumption during peak demand
periods. These programmes can be further optimised through integration with a distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) such as Cat AMP, which automatically enrolls customers and confirms their programme participation in real time, maximising the economic benefits.
“Our fast-response natural gas generator sets deliver unique performance comparable to the start-up and load acceptance of diesel- fuelled power solutions,” says Melissa Busen, senior vice president for Caterpillar’s Electric Power Division.
450 MW of recip engines to support UK grid stability
Thurrock, 450 MW of piston power. (Clarke Energy/INNIO/Statera )
Clarke Energy (a Rehlko company) and INNIO Group have supplied ‘ready for hydrogen’ Jenbacher J624 engines to what will be one of the world’s largest gas fuelled high-speed piston engine based peaking power stations. Located in Thurrock, UK, the flexible and fast- start 450 MW power plant is being constructed by Statera Energy, developer, owner, and operator of flexible energy assets, with operation targeted for late 2026. The plant will comprise 95 reciprocating- engine-based gensets.
The plant’s strategic positioning, near London, means Thurrock Power, along with Statera’s
co-located 300 MW battery energy storage facility (already operational), will support grid flexibility and play a key role in balancing the energy system. The Jenbacher high-speed engines are said to combine high electrical efficiency, rapid start- up (in less than 5 minutes), cost advantages over medium-speed engines and simple-cycle gas turbines, and faster construction timelines compared to these alternative technologies. Deployment of multiple gensets allows high efficiency at partial loads, with power generation able to ramp from as low as 2.25 MW to the full 450 MW capacity. This flexibility enables the plant
to swiftly respond to fluctuations in electricity supply and demand. The plant will operate primarily on pipeline gas but is designed to run on a variety of fuel blends, including biomethane and hydrogen. This supports the transition to a net- zero energy system as the gas grid evolves towards decarbonisation, say the plant’s developers. The project marks the second major collaboration between Statera Energy, Clarke Energy and INNIO Group, following the successful completion of the Creyke Beck Power flexible generation project in Cottingham, Humberside, UK. “Thurrock Power represents a significant milestone for Statera,” said Matt Arnold, the company’s director of BESS & Flex-Gen. “Once operational, it will be the UK’s largest flexible generation project, providing critical capacity to balance the grid and enable the transition to a renewables-led energy
system.Together with Thurrock Storage, our sites support grid resilience and energy security. We selected Clarke Energy and INNIO Group’s Jenbacher technology for its rapid deployment capabilities, fuel flexibility, and exceptional start-up performance.”
www.modernpowersystems.com | January/February 2026 | 21
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