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Puerto Rico is a beautiful Caribbean island that attracts vacationers year-round due to its gorgeous beaches and pleasant temperatures. Tourism is a major economic driver for the island, and resorts like Rincon Beach Resort continually invest in their properties to attract customers and ensure a comfortable experience. While pristine beaches, fancy restaurants and spas are on the list, this resort is also focused on something much more essential—the ability to provide reliable, uninterrupted power.
While most Americans living on the mainland take electricity for granted, Puerto Rico residents live daily with a fragile electric system and the constant threat of power outages. According to 2G Puerto Rico Branch Manager Adiel Morales Burgos, the island has rotating outages at least once a week because there is not enough electricity in the area. His company installs off-grid combined heat and power (CHP) generation systems so businesses can operate seamlessly.
“We’re used to the power going out,” said Burgos. “The infrastructure is not adequate, and there’s not enough generation capacity. We’re starting to see improvements, but not quickly enough. My company has been able to help many industrial customers save millions of dollars by keeping the power running when the grid has failed.”
In addition to an already weak electric grid, the island has fallen victim to several devastating hurricanes over the years that have destroyed homes and buildings and caused power outages lasting weeks. “Probably the most memorable–Hurricane Maria in 2017–was a wakeup call for many, including the owners of the Rincon Beach Resort,” said Burgos. “We lived for months without power…the roads were wiped out and I wasn’t able to get to my mom for a week. The aftermath of it was unreal.”
Businesses Install Propane-Powered Systems for Reliability
In response, businesses like Rincon Beach Resort have turned to propane-powered generation systems for reliable, uninterrupted power. 2G installed a 240-kW CHP system that uses propane as its power source, and the resort has been able to continue its routine operations during more recent storms, including Hurricane Fiona in September 2022. Burgos says his company has installed systems in Puerto Rico totaling 12 megawatts, primarily for pharmaceutical companies that can’t risk losing power for even a few minutes.
“While we also use LNG to power our systems, I find we’re leaning more and more towards the use of propane when possible,” said Burgos. “We’re seeing a 20-22% increase in efficiency from newer propane engines compared to LNG, making it a more cost-effective choice for 2G and our customers.” In addition, Burgos says the logistics and distribution for propane is better-developed than for LNG. It’s also five times more expensive to build LNG infrastructure.
Propane is a Clean Option for Power Generation
2G also considers the cleanliness of its power sources. However, Burgos says they must choose clean solutions that are realistic to use in Puerto Rico, like propane and LNG. “As an example, you’re not going to see us use a hydrogen-powered engine here since production and distribution is not available at scale on the island.” Propane is their fuel of choice because it’s significantly cleaner than diesel and is easy to transport and store. Puerto Rico’s current electric grid runs primarily on gasoline and diesel, making it a less environmentally friendly option.
Burgos says his company is constantly evolving to provide the best assets for its customers. “There’s a cost associated with resiliency,” said Burgos. “The grid fluctuations cost facilities too much money, and investing in an off-grid solution is a small price to pay compared to the millions of dollars that can be lost during a grid event. The added cost for our CHP systems typically pays for itself within one week to one month depending on the grid event and type of business.”
Using propane to power these systems not only gives customers reliable and abundant power, it gives businesses an opportunity to work towards emissions reductions goals and provide better air quality for their employees and customers—something we can all get behind.
