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INDUSTRY NEWS


Eco-cities go for green energy


According to the old saying, where there’s a will there’s a way. With environmental legislation tightening, cities around the world have to meet the growing energy demand and cope with rising production costs. With the latest power generation technology, it is possible to balance environmental compliance with economic performance.


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n many countries and cities, the current infrastructure to generate power and heat is based on coal and heavy fuel oil. However, their usage is becoming more challenging due to their effect on climate change. Another major challenge that cities face is the ever-increasing amount of waste and how to handle waste streams sustainably. In fi nding the most effi cient and sustainable solutions to these challenges, it is important that decision- makers, research institutes, universities and technology providers communicate and co-operate with each other, for example, through public-private


July 2013


partnerships. Encouraging new approaches are found in the Nordic countries where cities and local energy producers have successfully replaced fossil fuel energy fl ows with biomass and waste.


The view on waste is changing; what used to be a problem is now a valuable fuel. One ton of combustible waste contains the energy equivalent of approximately 300 litres of crude oil. Air pollution and the issue of hazardous emissions connected to combustion have been basically eliminated by modern environmental technology. A city that has actively made its energy production more sustainable is Borås in Sweden.


Years ago, it set itself a goal to become a city free from fossil fuels. The transition from using oil and gas in district heating has been made in steps. A major leap towards a fossil-free city was taken in 2005 with the commissioning of a new, world- class, waste-to-energy plant that features two 20 MWth Bubbling Fluidized Bed boilers. The plant’s 200 GWh annual production of fossil-free energy has contributed to the aim of achieving the city’s goal.


Greater value


Well-planned waste management can benefi t cities in many ways. Lahti in Finland is another city that has set high targets


for sustainability and wants to be recognised as a truly green city. In April, 2012, its energy company, Lahti Energy


The view on waste is changing; what used to be a problem is now a valuable fuel. One ton of combustible waste contains the energy equivalent of approximately 300 litres of crude oil.


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