Bergen Engines

Less than four months after Langley Holdings officially took ownership of Bergen Engines from Rolls-Royce plc, its Power Solutions Division is launching a combined microgrid offering, focused on a rapidly emerging mix of renewable energy sources.

Microgrids with a high penetration of renewable energy sources have a vital role to play in the energy transition to net zero, but the natural fluctuations in output from those same renewable energy sources create a need for dispatchable balancing power that can kick in quickly when the sun is not shining, or the wind is not blowing.

The combined offering from Langley subsidiaries Bergen Engines, Piller Power Systems and Marelli Motori, aims to meet the immediate requirements for microgrid balancing and stabilization while mapping a path to eradicating carbon.

The H2-ready combustion engines from Bergen Engines, incorporating Marelli Motori alternators, can start up fast and maintain high efficiency levels at part-load operation, always keeping emissions and fuel consumption low. Piller’s stabilisation and storage systems make it possible to optimise the various power sources in a microgrid, thereby reducing investment and operational costs. The combined offering itself will ensure flexible, reliable and cost-effective power supply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Commenting on some of the many benefits of the new offering, John Kristian Johnsen, Head of Sales, Bergen Engines said: “We believe that this combined offering is a key step that will enable an increased penetration of renewables in the electricity supply system, reducing overall emissions from power generation. Our engines are already H2-ready, allowing a gradual transition from natural gas to hydrogen, when green hydrogen becomes commercially available.”

Bergen Engines recently launched a comprehensive test programme towards zero carbon emission engines, aiming to develop a retrofit solution that will accept hydrogen content of up to 60%, and a solution that can accept 100% hydrogen for new engines to come. Watch the video here

Discussing the role of his company’s technology in this new combined offering, Andrew Dyke, CEO of Piller Power Systems added: “Our Microgrid stabilisation systems provide the widest flexibility of system design in one unit. Customers can choose the type of energy storage to optimise the system and benefit from a solution that separates utility faults from the microgrid. This makes for an ideal interface between engines and renewables in any hybrid Microgrid.”

See us at the 10th National Conference on Microgrids
The Power Solutions team will be presenting its new microgrid offering at the 10th National Conference on Microgrids on 31 March 2022 in Boston, US. The session ‘Optimising microgrid generation and stabilisation on the road to net zero’ will explore technical challenges affecting support for renewable power generation, storage and stabilisation – and optimum ways to find sustainable solutions for integrated and islanded Microgrid development.


The Langley Holdings Power Solutions Division is launching a combined microgrid offering, focused on a rapidly emerging mix of renewable energy sources.


The combined offering from Bergen Engines, Piller Power Systems and Marelli Motori, aims to meet the immediate requirements for microgrid balancing and stabilization while mapping a path to eradicating carbon.

About Bergen Engines AS

Bergen Engines produces medium speed liquid and gas fuelled engines and generator sets supplied to a broad range of land based, commercial marine and naval customers. The Bergen name is a watchword for quality and reliability in its field.

The tradition of engineering in Bergen, Norway, dates back to 1855 when the original company Bergen Mekaniske Verksted (BMV) was founded.

In 1946 the company built its first diesel engine and has since commissioned over 7,000 of its iconic liquid and gas fuelled engines. More than half of them are still in operation today, such is the quality and reliability of a Bergen engine.

From 1999, Bergen Engines AS was owned by Rolls-Royce plc. On 31st December 2021, the company was sold to the privately owned engineering and industrial group, Langley Holdings plc.

Bergen Engines will be at the core of Langley’s Power Solutions division, working closely with the Langley’s Italian Marelli Motori and German Piller Power Systems subsidiaries.

Take a video tour of Bergen Engines Norway.

About Piller

Piller was founded in Hamburg, Germany in 1909 by engineer Anton Piller. Employing around 1000 people worldwide, Piller is headquartered in Osterode, near Hanover, Germany, with subsidiaries across Europe, America, Asia and Australia. Piller occupies a unique position, being the only company to produce both types of electrically coupled UPS technologies and with kinetic energy storage or battery options. The company also produces stabilisation systems for microgrid applications, aircraft ground power units, 50/60Hz frequency converters, static transfer switches and specialist marine generators. With more than 7000 kinetic energy storage devices and over 6000 high power UPS units installed, Piller has more than 300 service personnel taking care of clients across 24 countries. The Piller group is a wholly owned subsidiary of the multi-disciplined global UK engineering and industrial group, Langley Holdings Plc. In 2016, Piller acquired Active Power Inc., the flywheel energy storage specialist.

About Marelli Motori

Marelli Motori is a leading manufacturer of electric motors, alternators and generators. Founded in northern Italy in 1891, the company enjoys worldwide brand recognition in the marine, oil & gas, power generation, co-generation, hydro and other industrial sectors. Marelli Motori employs around 630 people with extensive manufacturing facilities at its Arzignano headquarters and own subsidiaries in South Africa, Asia, Europe and USA. The company also has an extended sales, distribution and service network across four continents, supplying products to more than 120 countries.

On 24 May 2019, Marelli Motori was acquired by Langley Holdings plc, the British engineering and industrial manufacturing group.

About Langley Holdings

Langley Holdings plc is a privately owned UK based engineering and industrial manufacturing group, principally producing capital equipment to diverse markets worldwide.

Langley businesses are either outright market leaders, or occupy strong niche positions in their respective fields, providing advanced technologies in a solutions-based approach. The group operates in three principal areas:- Power Solutions, Print Technologies and Other Industrials. The group’s operations are based in Norway, Germany, Italy, France and the UK with 18 production facilities in Europe and the USA and a global manufacturing footprint of over 1,000,000 sq.m (11,000,000 sq.ft) with more than 90 sales and service subsidiaries worldwide. The group employs around 5,400 people. Revenues for 2022 are expected to be circa. €1.3 billion.

The group was established in 1975 by the current Chairman & CEO, Mr Anthony Langley and remains entirely in family ownership.


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