Cat CG260 generator sets to power district energy projects

Caterpillar, manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, clean diesel, gas engines and industrial gas turbines, has announced that it has been selected to provide two cogeneration plants to Markham District Energy (MDE), an energy company owned by the City of Markham, Ontario, Canada. Local Cat dealer, Toromont will be supplying a CG260-12 generator set for the MDE Birchmount Energy Centre, a CG260-16 generator set for the Bur Oak Energy Centre and ancillary electrical and mechanical equipment for both sites, the announcement added.

According to Caterpillar, the generator sets will provide a combined 7 MW of electricity and 7MW of thermal energy to the Markham district energy systems and the projects will be the first in North America to employ Caterpillar’s recently introduced CG260 Series.

MDE, which was established in 1999 to develop district energy systems for Markham’s developing urban centers, produces at its central plants heated and chilled water, which is distributed throughout the community via underground thermal distribution systems, with the aim of dramatically increasing efficiency and reduce emissions, the company claimed. It added that it has deployed a combined-heat-and-power (CHP) strategy using reciprocating engine generator set and heat recovery technology.

“We have successfully operated Cat power generation equipment for over a decade now and Toromont has been an excellent local partner since our project was first commissioned,” said Bruce Ander, MDE President and CEO. “When Caterpillar offered the CG260 product in response to our recent request for proposals, we were very impressed and pleased that they won the competition. When we complete the new CHP projects, MDE will operate over 20 MW of Cat-powered generators at three locations that provide reliable and efficient power and heating to our Markham customers.”