Fortum’s new bio-fuelled CHP plant in Stockholm in final testing phase before commissioning

Fortum’s new bio-fuelled CHP plant in Stockholm in final testing phase before commissioning

Feb 17, 2016  | Energy 

Fortum’s new bio-fuelled CHP plant in Stockholm in final testing phase before commissioning
(Photo by: Fortum)

Fortum’s new bio-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) plant, co-owned by Fortum and the City of Stockholm, has started the final tests before commissioning.

The plant uses forest residues and wood waste to provide district heating for 190,000 households and electricity equivalent to 20,000 rooftops covered with solar panels. The new unit is one of the world’s largest biomass-fuelled CHP facilities and will reduce CO2 emissions in Stockholm. As part of an integrated energy system for power generation, waste management and recovered heat from data centres, the new facility will further strengthen Fortum’s leading expertise in sustainable solutions for cities in line with the company’s new strategy.

“This an important step in the development of sustainable energy solutions for Stockholm, but it is also an important showcase: many countries and cities are facing urbanisation-related challenges. Now we can provide sustainable solutions that also connect waste management, bio gas production, district cooling and other aspects of a circular economy,” says Anders Egelrud, managing director of Fortum Värme in Stockholm.

“With increasing volumes of intermittent renewable energy, the demand for effect will increase during the cold and windless days. As CHP is flexible, we can adjust the production of both heat and electricity to meet the demand; this means that we will also provide a key component in the growing renewable energy system,” says Anders Egelrud.

Construction of the new plant started in 2013 as one of the main components of the strategy to have a system based only on renewable and recycled energy before 2030 in Stockholm. The fuel, forest residues and wood waste, are transported by both sea and railway. The plant is estimated to produce 750 gigawatt-hours (GWh) electricity and 1,700 GWh heat annually. It uses 12,000 cubic meters of wood chips per day, which means 3-4 shipments and 5 trains per week. The power plant’s underground storage facility has a capacity of 50,000 cubic meters.

When fully operational, the new biomass power plant will reduce emissions by 126,000 tonnes annually. The emissions reduction corresponds close to 12% of the annual emissions from the area’s transport sector.

Growing cities create challenges, such as inefficient heating, cooling, electricity production and increasing waste volumes. Fortum has expertise and experience in providing sustainable urban solutions for efficient district heating and cooling, integrated systems for electricity consumers, waste-to-energy and management, and e-mobility.
Via Fortum
Image,video ©: Fortum