Citation: Banihabib, R.; Assadi, M. The Role of Micro Gas Turbines in Energy Transition. Energies 2022, 15, 8084. https://doi.org/10.3390/ en15218084 Academic Editor: Andrea De Pascale Received: 31 August 2022 Accepted: 14 October 2022 Published: 31 October 2022 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). energies Review The Role of Micro Gas Turbines in Energy Transition Reyhaneh Banihabib and Mohsen Assadi * Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger, 4016 Stavanger, Norway * Correspondence: mohsen.assadi@uis.no Abstract: In the progressively rising decentralized energy market, micro gas turbines (MGT) are seen with great potential owing to their low emissions, fuel flexibility, and low maintenance. The current transformation in the landscape of electricity supply with an increasing share of fluctuant renewable energy resources and increasing complexity requires a reliable and energy-efficient power generation source to support the grid. In this scenario, small-scale power plants that are constructed based on micro gas turbines with up to 250 kW power range can play a substantial role in meeting the challenges of the modern electricity grid. Micro gas turbines provide a reliable and cost-effective power source with a quick load-following ability which can respond to demand peaks and compensate for intermittent renewable sources when they are not available. MGT units can work as a system together with renewables, or function as a stand-alone unit in off-grid operations. The features of micro gas turbines are compatible with the energy transition that is the carbon-free modern energy grid. The technology underlying MGTs offer hybridization with renewable energy sources, flexibility in operations and type of fuel, and promising low emission solutions that align with environmental concerns. However, there is a continuous need to improve energy efficiency with a pressing urge for reducing emissions. This paper provides a review of micro gas turbines’ characteristics which promote their role in future power and heat generation systems. A brief overview of the challenges to improving operational flexibility, reliability, and availability of MGTs while maintaining low environmental impact and lowering the costs is presented. A model for an active monitoring and control system of the micro gas turbines is proposed which could improve the reliability of MGT operation in the grid by means of AI methods. Keywords: micro gas turbine; energy transition; condition monitoring; performance improvement 1. Introduction Centralized power generation exploiting fossil fuels or nuclear technology in largescale plants is no longer a vision of the future that climate change scientists, regulators, and growing majorities of voters approve of. Distributed energy generation (DEG) facilitates the use of different energy sources that are available for customers to choose from and install in small increments. These units provide the required power to meet the end-user demand. Distributed power is generated at or near the point of use with technologies such as gas turbines, fuel cells, diesel and gas reciprocating engines, solar panels, and wind turbines. There are significant advantages that are associated with the replacement of centralized energy generation plants with a DEG system. The main environmental benefit of distributed systems is the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels that is replaced by renewable sources such as solar power and wind. Long-term cost savings can be achieved as DEGs enable the governments and decision-smakers in the utility division to avoid considerable capital investments in new fossil fuel-based power plants and build transmission and distribution infrastructure. DEG plants are situated near commercial, industrial, and residential users, which results in a reduction of energy losses that may occur due to inefficient power lines. Moreover, the short distance between generation and consumption enables access to small heat sources/sinks and provides the opportunity for Energies 2022, 15, 8084. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15218084 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/energies