Recips give gas turbines a run for their money. (Diesel & Gas Engine Developments)

Modern lean burn reciprocating engines have a clear advantage over simple cycle gas turbines in terms of fuel economy, performance at high altitudes, efficiency at high ambient temperatures and when operating at partial loads.

Gas turbines have enjoyed a huge surge in popularity in recent years for power generation, notably in the United States, and at the larger end of the market. But at smaller sizes, 50 MW or below, reciprocating engines look like an increasingly competitive alternative, even though the footprint of a recip tends to be larger than for a gas turbine installation of equivalent power.