Gas engine support experts Gen-C have helped Northern Irish on-farm AD operators Green Circle Renewables improve the performance of their CHP engine and future-proof their biogas operation. A full engine upgrade project, which included replacing the TPEM controls on a new 600 kW MWM CHP, now allows automatic and remote restarting and monitoring, significantly improving operation and cutting downtime on site.

Taking back control

After several upgrades to the AD plant over the years, the Green Circle facility in Armagh now has the capacity to produce enough gas to generate over 2 MW of heat and electricity. As a result, the site has one 500 kW MWM and one 1 MW Jenbacher CHP engine, as well as the most recent model – an MWM 3016-V12 600 kW.

Having previously used Gen-C’s services to upgrade previous engines, Green Circle’s Jason Rolston was keen to engage them again, as Gen-C’s Managing Director, James Thompson, explains: “When we upgraded Jason’s older engines, we enabled automatic restarts, which absolutely transformed the running of the plant. Giving Jason and his team full control over their own asset – meaning they weren’t locked into expensive service contracts, had no lengthy engineer call-out waits, and could restart their own engine within seconds – made a massive difference to the site’s overall smooth running. Unfortunately, when Jason upgraded to the new 600 kW engine, the TPEM controls didn’t offer him the same level of open access that he required, so he had no hesitation in contacting us again to upgrade the control panel.”

Performance enhancement

As well as providing remote monitoring and restarting capabilities to the new engine, this latest installation saw Gen-C upgrade the control panels with a new SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system with intuitive 22-inch touchscreen controls, linked to the very latest ComAp IS Gas 2000 controller and an IPPC industrial computer. Gen-C also upgraded the engine itself with the latest ignition system, speed control, detonation control and fuel mixer technologies from Motortech, making the engine run smoother and more reliably.

“Within just nine days, the upgraded engine was up and running, and it was fully completed and signed off after 13 days,” explains James. “The work we carried out also allows us to have constant remote access and monitoring, so we can dial in and resolve many local issues remotely. All the parts have two year’s warranty and we hold all of them in stock, so they can be despatched the same day if required.”

Customer satisfaction

Commenting on the latest upgrade, AD plant Director Jason Rolston says: “We are no strangers to the great work that Gen-C delivers, as they carried out successful upgrades on two of our old engines back in 2016. However, this latest project has taken it to a whole new level. This latest technology they’ve used has our engine running really well, and the new larger screens give us so much more information, making the plant easier and more effective to run.

“Maximum running hours are so important to us, so for Gen-C to complete such a complex project in such a short time span is nothing short of remarkable. James and his team have done a great job, and I couldn’t be happier with the result.”

“Often, other CHP upgrade packages mix and match different technologies, which can create issues in terms of compatibility or reliability. However, we provide a one-stop-shop and warrant everything we do,” concludes James. “At the same time, a SCADA software key to enables us to create a reliable interface between the control screen and the computer. As we see more TPEM control systems in the industry, we also expect to see more demand for our open-access solutions.”

To find out more about Gen-C CHP upgrading service and open access control panels, visit stand C30 at the World Biogas Expo, 9-10 July 2025, NEC Birmingham.