NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The microturbine has long cemented its place in power generation. However, there have traditionally been few companies that produce these small machines. Capstone is the established market leader in terms of production value, and two other companies, FlexEnergy and Ansaldo Energia, also produce microturbines. The market is small given the size of the total gas turbine market, but some growth is likely to occur due to the entry of three unique European companies.
Bladon (formerly Bladon Jets) is a U.K.-based company with a new microturbine product. Its 12-kW machine is designed for the telecom market and optimized to power cellular towers. There is a large demand for towers that are not connected to a grid. This market has historically been dominated by reciprocating diesel engines. Bladon's MTG12 is advertised to have many advantages over traditional diesels; e.g., fuel flexibility and lower maintenance costs. It is also boasted to require 90 percent fewer site visits. The machine has already garnered orders.
Another product coming out of Europe is produced by Micro Turbine Technology (MTT) in the Netherlands. Its EnerTwin is smaller than the MTG12, with a 3.2-kW output, and is optimized for heating. The 15 kW of thermal power has many potential applications, ranging from larger homes to restaurants and schools.
Finally, Finnish company Aurelia Turbines is coming to market with a versatile 400-kW machine. Aurelia Turbines' microturbine can be used for process steam, chilling and even direct current applications. Benefits are numerous, but perhaps the most impressive is that the machine is over 40 percent efficient - not an easy feat for a microturbine.
"When one combines three new products by three new companies, the microturbine market is affected in terms of volume of machines," said Forecast International industrial gas turbine analyst Carter Palmer. "The MTG12 and EnerTwin, being very small turbines that have garnered orders, will not have a large effect on market value but will push unit figures up significantly. Aurelia Turbines provides little information on its 400-kW product; however, it can be assumed that some units are in service, as a €3.7 million equity investment was obtained in March 2018 to complete orders."
The following graph, generated by Forecast International's Platinum system, shows forecast unit production for the microturbine market over the next 10 years. When changes in the market are detected, the Platinum system presents updates for rapid retrieval and analysis.
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