Into the Heart of Power

Among the most important elements for successful power generation are the engines that allow power plants to work. They are the core around which these facilities are built. “A motor’s electrical performance is one of the critical parameters for the optimal functioning of cogeneration plants and our products have one of the best performance levels in the industry,” says Juan Velasco, Regional Sales Manager in Latin America of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

The solutions provided by Rolls-Royce Power Systems vary according to the needs of the industry. The company entered the power sector by commercializing aero-derivative turbines and in 1999 it acquired Bergen Engines to commercialize reciprocating engines. RollsRoyce entered the Mexican market after 2008, when the economic crisis made evident the need to diversify its business and look for new clients. The company turned to Latin America because it was considered a promising market for expansion and quickly identified Mexico as the most attractive market in the region.

“Our first projects in the country were Agua Prieta, a 20MW power plant located in the north, and a 9MW cogeneration facility installed on an industrial pig farm in Veracruz. Since then, we have had a growing project pipeline,” Velasco says.

To address the growing needs of its new markets RollsRoyce decided to acquire MTU, a manufacturer of highspeed engines from 100kW to 2MW, to complement their previous Bergen Engines product portfolio of 5MW to 9MW equipment. Velasco says that MTU’s business model differs from that of Bergen Engines because it involves local partners and distributors. MTU works with W.W. Williams in the north and Olympia in the central and southern regions of Mexico.

Velasco adds that R&D is an integral part of the company’s strategy to remain a leader in the sector. “Both MTU and Bergen Engines have been working individually in the development of new products. In the energy sector, designing an innovative product might take several years but we have many proposals for different configurations, voltages and power already in an advanced stage.”

The technology for Rolls-Royce’s solutions has increased equipment efficiency and allowed the company to reduce CO2 emissions. “In this sense, the industry’s goal to become more competitive has also had a positive impact on reducing the environmental impact by driving important advances in improving engine performance,” Velasco says.

The company says it is deeply committed to the Mexican energy industry, a strategic market where it seeks to continue its successful positioning. “We still have high expectations about our future in Mexico,” Velasco says. “We see great potential for developing energy projects under different schemes. At the moment, we are focusing our efforts on the projects that we have already signed, strengthening our O&M network in the country to provide the best aftersales services.”