One of the biggest biomass power plants in Central Europe, delivered to France by Metso, was commissioned in October 2010 and is running successfully. Ordered in 2008, this new full-scope solution was delivered to the Dalkia biomass power plant in southwest France. Using mainly bark and forest residues as fuel, the combined heat and power plant produces 50 megawatts of electricity for the national grid and 74 megawatts of process steam for Smurfit Kappa’s paper mill.
Bio-energy is playing a growing role in the creation of sustainable energy systems worldwide. According to Jouni Kinni, sales manager, Power business line: “The French delivery included the boiler, flue-gas cleaning and fuel handling systems as well as complete automation of the power plant, which ensures, among other things, that the customer benefits from compatible reporting and communication.”
Metso’s cooperation with Dalkia received another boost in September, when the company announced the conversion of the pulverised coal boiler of its plant in Łódź in Poland into a biomass-fired boiler. The new biomass boiler is expected to be ready for commercial operation in December of 2011.
Environmental business and in particular bio-energy and recycling solutions are important growth areas for Metso. Biomass is used in various ways in energy production. In addition to combustion solutions, biomass-handling processes now being developed can help to generate products with greater added value. These products can be used either as fuels in energy production or as raw materials in various chemical processes. The expansion of biomass end-uses creates demand for new technologies.
“In addition to traditional combustion solutions, we must develop products that maximize the energy values of biomass and minimise the environmental impacts of production and logistics,” explains Kai Mäenpää, Vice President, Capital Projects, Power business line. “Some examples are gasification, bio-oil production through pyrolysis, and torrefaction, which results in bio-coal.”
Metso is currently building a sorted-waste gasification plant for Lahti Energy. In that project, the replacement of coal with biofuels will reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions corresponding to the carbon footprint of 260,000 cars.