Natural gas cogeneration solution in a European hotel

A PowerLink gas CHP is in operation at a site in Europe to supply power and heat/hot water to a 4-star hotel. The hotel is made up of 20 floors, with a total area of 22,752m².

During peak hours, energy is provided to a total of 250 guest rooms. With the demand of hot water, three boilers were equipped to provide outputs for heating, catering, washing and cleaning facilities.

• Location: Europe
• Application: Hotel
• Fuel type: Natural gas
• Equipment: CHP unit, 2 x CG200-NG, 400kW (electricity), 526kW (heat)

Each year, the hotel spends a huge amount on utility costs, but with the CHP unit, electricity and heat are provided, not only that it will cut down the spending, but it will also supply the hotel to remain in normal operation if there is a power cut to the building.

The importance of having energy supply to a 4-star international hotel is excessively high. The backup of electricity to the facility would help to avoid financial loss, as well as the hotel reputation.

The installation period was 15 days. The main installation work included connecting the pipework for the supply of gas, lining all the cables to supply power and also to the grid, and setting up the heat distribution management equipment to ensure that heat reached every corner of the building.

The two units typically operate daily from 6am to 10pm, which includes the peak hours where energy is likely to be used the most. The system automatically shuts down during non-peak hours. When the unit is off, any energy need is served by the grid.

A minimum of 209 tons of hot water is produced each day for washing and radiator heating. The output temperature is of 85°C, and of course, the heat distribution management system would come in operation to carry water to where it is needed and at the correct temperature for the taps.

3800kW of electricity is provided daily, all supplied to the hotel, with any additional requirement supplied by the grid. In incidences such as power failure, the unit is equipped with an ATS system to allow automatic start of the CHP units.