250 kW natural gas generators, to rent or to buy.
NexSource builds a set at this exact rating in Red Deer, the NPI250, and keeps other gas units either side of it. This page lists them from the live inventory, gives the current a 250 kW load draws, and sets out what the gas supply has to deliver.
The NPI250, rated at 250 kW.
The NPI250 is the middle set of the NPI Series, the gas and propane packages NexSource designs and assembles at its Red Deer shop. It sits in a sound-attenuated enclosure with forklift connections, and has two breakers: a main load breaker and a second one for an automatic or manual load bank, so the set can be kept properly loaded.
It is listed today for rent, for sale and on rent-to-own. The figures in the table come from its inventory listing. The full listing has the engine, alternator and controller specifications; the NPI250 article covers where it is used.
| Rating | 250 kW |
|---|---|
| Voltage | 480 V |
| Fuel | Natural Gas (NG) / Propane (LP) |
| Engine | PSI 14L |
| Alternator | STAMFORD S461D-D41 |
| Listed fuel rate | 3086 ft³/hr · 87 m³/hr |
| Length | 4142 mm |
| Width | 2122 mm |
| Height | 2300 mm |
| Dry Weight | 6220 kg |
| Controller | ComAp |
Every gas set near 250 kW, smallest first.
A measured 250 kW load can sometimes sit on a set one step down. A load with a large motor start may need the next size up. These are the natural gas and propane units in that range that are listed to rent, to buy, or both, read from inventory each hour.
Compare the voltage on each card before anything else. A 600 V building and a 480 V set need a transformer between them, and that changes the quote.
NPI Series 170
170 kW- Frequency
- 60 Hz
- Voltage
- 480 V
- Fuel
- NG / LP
Cummins 200 kW
200 kW- Frequency
- 60 Hz
- Voltage
- 347/600 V
- Fuel
- Natural Gas
NPI250
250 kW- Output
- 390 kVA
- Frequency
- 60 Hz
- Voltage
- 480 V
- Fuel
- NG / LP
NPI350
350 kW- Frequency
- 60 Hz
- Voltage
- 480 V
- Fuel
- NG / LP
Diesel is the option where there is no gas: see diesel generator rental. For the next sizes up and down, the generators by size table lists the whole fleet, and the 350 kW page covers the class above.
250 kW at 208, 480 and 600 V.
At the 0.8 power factor three-phase sets are rated at, 250 kW is 312.5 kVA. On a 600 V service that is roughly 300 A a phase, a manageable cable run. At 208 V the same load passes 860 A, which usually means parallel conductors and a heavier connection.
Loads of this size are a mid-sized shop or plant, a lease site with a compressor and pumps, a camp, or a commercial building on standby. The power calculators convert between kW, kVA and amps for any other rating.
| A 250 kW load | Works out to |
|---|---|
| Real power | 250 kW |
| Apparent power at 0.8 pf | 312.5 kVA |
| Current at 208 V | about 867 A per phase |
| Current at 480 V | about 376 A per phase |
| Current at 600 V | about 301 A per phase |
Plan the gas before the generator.
Utility gas
A building or yard on a utility line needs a service that can carry the set's full-load rate on top of whatever else it feeds, at the pressure the engine asks for. The gas utility confirms that, not the generator supplier.
Lease or field gas
Wellsite gas varies. Heating value and liquids content decide whether a particular engine can burn it and what conditioning goes in front of it. Send a gas analysis; the industrial natural gas rentals page explains what is checked.
Propane
Where there is no gas line, a dual-fuel set can run on propane from a tank on site. Tank size and refill frequency follow from the run hours, and the fuel consumption calculator gives a starting rate.
For scale: the NPI250 listing estimates 87 m³ of natural gas an hour, about 2,088 m³ over a day at that rate. The estimate is published for planning and is not a guarantee of consumption.
Match the deal to the run time.
A set needed for one project, one season or until the utility connects is usually rented. A set that will be the site's power for years, or stand by behind a facility, is usually bought. Many listings near 250 kW are offered both ways, and some are flagged Rent to Own.
Compare the two on the renting vs. buying page, browse natural gas generators for sale, or check used gas sets for a lower purchase price.
What to send with a 250 kW request.
Rough figures are enough to start. Sets are load tested in Red Deer before they ship, and field service is available 24/7.
The load
A metered peak, a demand figure from the power bill, or a list of equipment with nameplate ratings.
The biggest motor
Horsepower, how it starts, and anything else that starts with it.
Service voltage
480 V, 600 V or 208 V, three-phase. It decides the set, or whether a transformer goes with it.
The gas
Utility line or lease gas, the pressure at the connection point, and an analysis if it is field gas. Or propane.
Rent or own
How long the set is needed and how many hours a day it runs. Both can be quoted side by side.
The site
Address, where the set will sit, and whether a truck and forklift can get to it.
250 kW natural gas generator questions.
How much gas does a 250 kW natural gas generator use?
The NPI250 listing estimates 87 m³ per hour, which is about 2,088 m³ across a 24-hour day at that rate. Real use falls with load, so a set carrying half its rating burns well under that figure. Check the supply can deliver the full rate at the set's required pressure.
Is a 250 kW generator the same as a 250 kVA generator?
No. A 250 kVA set at 0.8 power factor delivers 200 kW, one size class down. A 250 kW load at the same power factor is 312.5 kVA. When a tender or an old quote gives one number with no unit, find out which it means before comparing sets.
Can a 250 kW natural gas generator run on propane?
Some can. The NPI250 is listed as dual-fuel for natural gas and propane, and other sets on this page say on their card whether they take propane. In an Alberta winter a propane tank vaporizes slowly, so the tank size and any vaporizer are worked out with the propane supplier.
Can two 250 kW generators run in parallel?
The NPI250 listing names it parallel capable, with a controller that synchronizes and shares load, so two can carry about 500 kW between them. Pairing with a different make is confirmed unit by unit before it is quoted.
Should I rent or buy a 250 kW natural gas generator?
Rent for a defined job: a shutdown, a grid connection that is running late, a season on a lease site. Buy when the set will run for years, as prime power on a remote facility or as a building's standby. On listings flagged Rent to Own, rental payments can go toward buying the set.
What does a 250 kW natural gas generator cost?
NexSource quotes each unit and each job rather than publishing a rate card. The set, rental term or purchase, transport from Red Deer, distribution and any transformer all change the figure. Send the load and the site details and the quote comes back in writing.
Need about 250 kW on gas? Send the load.
The quote names the set, the fuel arrangement and the connection. NexSource works from 77 Queensgate Cres in Red Deer and supplies sites across Alberta and Saskatchewan.