Guide

Alternatives to a diesel generator at a remote site

The main alternatives to a diesel generator are solar with batteries, a solar or wind hybrid with a smaller generator, a hydrogen fuel cell, a gas generator where gas is piped or flared, and a microturbine genset. The right choice for your sites depends on how much sun they get, the load at night, which fuel can be delivered, and what each site visit costs you.

Updated 1 November 2026

The options compared

Alternatives to a diesel generator at a remote site
Option	Works best where	Things to weigh	Service visits	Fuel
Solar PV and batteries	Good sun, a modest load, room for panels	Pairs well with a backup source for cloudy spells and night load; plan for battery replacement during the system's life	Few	None
Hybrid: solar or wind, batteries and a generator	Most off-grid telecom and remote industrial sites	The generator covers the gap, so its fuel and service needs are worth planning for	Set by the generator	Liquid fuel for the generator
Hydrogen fuel cell	Backup duty with low run hours and a hydrogen supply	Plan for hydrogen delivery and storage at the site	Few	Hydrogen
Gas generator	Sites with piped gas, LPG or flare gas	Works where a gas supply is on site	Similar to diesel	Natural gas, LPG, biogas
Diesel genset	Sites where diesel is the only fuel available	Plan for oil and filter changes every few hundred run hours	Frequent at high run hours	Diesel
Microturbine genset (Bladon MTG12 and MTP40)	Remote or unmanned sites where each visit is costly; hot or dusty sites; sites where kerosene can be bought; sites where an oversized diesel runs lightly loaded	Delivers the most value where site visits, fuel price or fuel theft drive your costs, so it is worth comparing running costs site by site	One a year, regardless of run hours	Diesel, kerosene, paraffin, HVO, FAME biofuel and blends

Fuel

Solar PV and batteries: None
Hybrid: solar or wind, batteries and a generator: Liquid fuel for the generator
Hydrogen fuel cell: Hydrogen
Gas generator: Natural gas, LPG, biogas
Diesel genset: Diesel
Microturbine genset (Bladon MTG12 and MTP40): Diesel, kerosene, paraffin, HVO, FAME biofuel and blends

Service visits

Solar PV and batteries: Few
Hybrid: solar or wind, batteries and a generator: Set by the generator
Hydrogen fuel cell: Few
Gas generator: Similar to diesel
Diesel genset: Frequent at high run hours
Microturbine genset (Bladon MTG12 and MTP40): One a year, regardless of run hours

Things to weigh

Solar PV and batteries: Pairs well with a backup source for cloudy spells and night load; plan for battery replacement during the system's life
Hybrid: solar or wind, batteries and a generator: The generator covers the gap, so its fuel and service needs are worth planning for
Hydrogen fuel cell: Plan for hydrogen delivery and storage at the site
Gas generator: Works where a gas supply is on site
Diesel genset: Plan for oil and filter changes every few hundred run hours
Microturbine genset (Bladon MTG12 and MTP40): Delivers the most value where site visits, fuel price or fuel theft drive your costs, so it is worth comparing running costs site by site

Works best where

Solar PV and batteries: Good sun, a modest load, room for panels
Hybrid: solar or wind, batteries and a generator: Most off-grid telecom and remote industrial sites
Hydrogen fuel cell: Backup duty with low run hours and a hydrogen supply
Gas generator: Sites with piped gas, LPG or flare gas
Diesel genset: Sites where diesel is the only fuel available
Microturbine genset (Bladon MTG12 and MTP40): Remote or unmanned sites where each visit is costly; hot or dusty sites; sites where kerosene can be bought; sites where an oversized diesel runs lightly loaded

When solar and batteries suit you best

For a sunny site with a small, mostly daytime load and space for panels, solar with batteries usually costs the least to run. If the site is easy to reach and the generator runs only a few hours a month, the number of service visits matters less and a generator upgrade may not pay back.

When a microturbine gives you the most

Each site visit is expensive: a boat, a flight, a long drive or a security escort.
The generator runs for many hours a year, so a diesel needs frequent oil and filter changes.
A cheaper liquid fuel such as kerosene can be bought and used lawfully at the site.
Fuel theft is costing you money.
The site is hot or dusty. The MTG12 operates across -20°C to +50°C and the MTP40 across -20°C to +45°C, subject to de-rating for altitude and temperature above ISO 8528 reference conditions.Output de-rates for altitude and for temperature above ISO 8528 standard reference conditions. Cold Pack and Hot Pack kits are available for the ends of the range.
Noise is restricted: the MTG12 is rated at 60 dB(A) standard, or under 50 dB(A) with the optional Silent Pack.

How many visits each option needs

A diesel genset running around the clock needs an oil and filter service every few hundred run hours. A Bladon microturbine is serviced once a year, regardless of run hours, and the air and fuel filters are replaced at that visit. At a remote desert oil and gas site, an MTG12 ran 9,267 hours with three site visits.

Microturbines inside a hybrid system

A microturbine also works as the generator in a hybrid. In Papua New Guinea, Bladon MTG12 units with Ryse Energy wind, solar and storage power 70 hybrid sites, with over 90% diesel displacement.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest alternative to a diesel generator?

For a sunny site with a small daytime load, solar with batteries usually costs the least to run. Where a generator is still needed, its running cost is set by the fuel price, fuel theft and the number of site visits. A microturbine brings your visits down to one a year.

Can solar replace a diesel generator completely?

At some sites, yes. Most remote sites with a night load or long cloudy spells still need a generator in a hybrid system, sized smaller than a diesel-only site.

Does a microturbine need oil changes?

No. The Bladon microturbine runs on air bearings and has no engine oil. It is serviced once a year, when the air and fuel filters are replaced, so your teams visit far less often.

Can a microturbine run on kerosene?

Yes. Bladon microturbine gensets run on kerosene, paraffin, diesel, HVO, FAME biofuel and blends of these.