EVENT Bioenergy International No 82, 6-2015 55 The newly rebuilt Markinch biomass plant reduces carbon footprint in the region by 72 percent, decreasing fossil fuel carbon emissions by 250 000 tonnes annually. (Photo: Siemens) » employment, explained Daniella Johansson. Biggest in UK Ian Calvert, Head of Biomass UK, RWE Innogy UK Ltd (Innogy’s UK subsidiary) presented a newly built biomass-based CHP plant to supply power to a paper mill owned by Tullis Russel in Markinch, a small town in Fife, Scotland. Galvert explained that with an installed capacity of 50 MW, it is the largest power plant of its kind in the country. –The plant was officially inaugurated in March 2015 by Scottish Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, Fergus Ewing, although it has been generating power since February 2014. It replaces the existing coal-fired power plant at the paper mill site, and required an investment of approximately GBP 200 million (≈ EUR 272 million). RWE, the owner and operator, officially took over the site in November 2010, said Ian Galvert. The project created more than 600 jobs during construction and 40 permanent positions With the backing of Scotland’s then First Minister Alex Salmond, the project received support of GBP 8.1 million (≈EUR 11 million) from the Scottish Government’s Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) grant. Tullis Russell paper mill is supplied with 120 tonnes per hour of steam. In order to supply the paper mill with a secure supply of steam, three gas fired boilers have been installed. From the total electricity generated, approximately 17 MW is supplied to Tullis Russell and 25 MW is exported. Plant construction Around 400 000 tonnes per annum of biomass is consumed by the plant. Biomass from both virgin (10 percent) and recycled wood (90 percent) is used in a fluidised bed boiler and flue gas system, designed according to the rules and regulations of the Waste Incineration Directive. Valmet (formerly Metso Power) was awarded a contract worth GBP 75 million (≈EUR 102 million) for delivery of a 155 MWth circulating fluidised bed (CFB) boiler and a flue gas treatment plant. The remaining sections of the plant were constructed by Jacobs Engineering. Aker Solutions was awarded a GBP 115 million (≈EUR 156 million) contract to provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), and project management. It was responsible for the design, supply, construction, and installation and commissioning of the plant. According to Ian Calvert, the CHP plant reduces the carbon footprint in the region by 72 percent, reducing fossil fuel carbon emissions by 250 000 tonnes per annum. It helps the Scottish Government to meet 6 percent of its renewable energy targets. Text & photos: Markku Björkman BI82/5033/AS Editor’s note: The employee-owned Tullis Russell paper mill went into administration in April 2015. Gunther Müller, Head of Heat operations in Vattenfall Europe AG, talking about the company´s biomass plants in Berlin. The slightly gloomy depiction of European biomass industry painted by some conference participants, was balanced by Robert Fischer, Project Manager with the Swedish Bioenergy Association (Svebio). Daniella Johansson, from Energikontor Sydost AB, said that 40 to 50 new small-scale plants in Southern Sweden can achieve a possible average electricity production of 3 GWh per annum. Ian Calvert, Head of Biomass UK, RWE Innogy UK explained that Markinch biomass plant is the largest power plant of its kind in the country. (Left) Andreas Nielsen-Refs, Head of Thermal Power for DONG Energy debating with Dr Heinz Kopetz, President, World Bioenergy Association (WBA).
Bioenergy no 6 October 2015
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