High-Efficiency Cogeneration and Trigeneration Units for Biogas, Methane and Syngas
Combined generation of electricity and heat with custom-engineered technology
LAI Srl designs and builds cogeneration units for biogas, natural gas, biomethane and syngas systems, delivering maximum efficiency in the combined production of electricity and heat. Cogeneration—or CHP (Combined Heat and Power)—is a technology that efficiently uses a single fuel to produce electricity and recoverable heat simultaneously, bringing the plant’s overall energy efficiency to typically between 80% and 90%.
Compared with generating the two forms of energy separately, a high-efficiency cogeneration plant can reduce primary fuel consumption by up to 30–40%, significantly lowering both site energy costs and CO2 emissions.
Our cogeneration units are available in sizes from 20 to 2,000 kWe and are custom-sized according to gas availability, the required electrical output and the customer's heat consumption profile. For smaller capacities—from 20 to 300 kWe—LAI has developed its own cogeneration unit based on a gas engine derived from Deutz engines, modified and optimized in-house to run on biogas and natural gas, with a proprietary control system that manages startup, load regulation, and electrical and mechanical protection.
For larger capacities, we use engines from leading international brands—Jenbacher, MWM, MAN, Guascor and MTU—selected according to gas characteristics, expected annual operating hours and the customer's maintenance requirements.
Every LAI cogeneration unit is assembled entirely at our workshop in Cerreto Guidi (FI) on an anti-vibration modular frame. It comes complete with high- and low-temperature water cooling systems, a heat recovery unit for exhaust gases and engine coolant, an electrical control panel for managing and synchronizing with the public grid or an islanded load, and protection and shutdown systems. Our in-house automation enables remote plant management, continuous monitoring of all operating parameters, predictive diagnostics, and automatic reporting of operating hours and the electrical and thermal energy produced.
LAI supports customers at every stage: from feasibility analysis and sizing to detailed design, from installation and factory testing through to on-site commissioning, with scheduled and corrective maintenance contracts tailored to each plant’s operating requirements.
