A large-scale agro-industrial project in Algeria aimed at increasing the country's powdered milk production will use generator sets (gensets) by powertrain manufacturer FPT Industrial, and power generation systems manufacturer Green Power Systems.

The $3.5-billion project, cofunded by the Algerian National Investment Fund and Qatari dairy producer Baladna Q.P.S.C., involves the construction of an integrated dairy farm and powdered milk production facility on 117 000 ha of agricultural land. The development is designed to support 270 000 dairy cows.

Located in the Adrar province, the facility is scheduled to start production in late 2027. Once fully operational, it is expected to produce up to 100 000 t of powdered milk a year, meeting about 50% of Algeria's requirements.

Being in a Saharan region where temperatures often exceed 40 °C for more than 130 days a year, the agricultural land used to feed the dairy herd relies on a continuous irrigation project supported by gensets supplied by Green Power Systems and powered by FPT Industrial engines.

The 50 GP330 S/I-A gensets are powered by FPT Industrial CURSOR 13 engines, each providing up to 330 kVA for the continuous operation of irrigation systems under extreme conditions.

The gensets support central pivot irrigation systems, in which equipment rotates around a central pivot to irrigate crops using sprinklers. The method is less labour intensive and more water efficient, making it suitable for large areas of arid land.

Green Power Systems export area manager Flavio Faggiolini says the project reinforces the company’s role as a supplier of power generation solutions for large-scale agro-industrial and infrastructure projects. He adds that continuous power supply is essential for infrastructure of this scale and that collaboration with FPT Industrial enabled the delivery of a solution that meets the project's reliability requirements.

FPT Industrial head of sales EMEA Vittorio Bertalli adds the project is intended to strengthen Algeria’s food security and create about 5 000 local jobs. He expressed confidence that the company's CURSOR 13 engines, together with Green Power Systems' products, would meet the project’s operational requirements.

The CURSOR 13 engine is designed for power generation applications ranging from unregulated to Stage V/Tier 4 Final emissions standards. It features an electronically controlled unit injector for power delivery, load response and fuel optimisation.

The G-Drive configuration is designed for integration into power generation systems, while regulated versions incorporate an ATS pack with Hi-eSCR2 technology for emissions reduction. The engine also offers 50/60 Hz frequency switching and a 600-hour service interval aimed at maximising uptime and reducing maintenance requirements.