INDUSTRY NEWS VALVE WORLD All-rounders
and solar energy plants are in the open and can be seen nearly everywhere. Biomass however lurks in the shadows of debate, in a role that is far from justified. In Germany alone, biomass accounts for 33 per cent of energy generated from renewables, second place behind wind energy with a share of around 36 per cent. Without a question, biomass has great potential.
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Time is running out As supply slowly dwindles, the era of fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal is drawing to an end. Not every country welcomes nuclear energy. The energy sector has long realised the signs of the time. Companies from countries
such as Germany and Austria are placing their bets on renewables, in parts thanks to subsidies from their respective governments. In Germany, biomass as an energy source is supported by the Renewable Energies Act (EEG). The act includes wood- fired biomass heating and power plants or fermentation of liquid manure from energy crops in biogas plants.
Its versatility makes biomass
highly interesting. Biomass is “the only renewable that can generate all forms of required energy, such as heat, electricity and fuels“, underscores Germany’s “EnergyAgency. NRW“. As a source of energy, it is an all-rounder, regardless of its solid, liquid or gaseous state.
22 IMT October/November 2014
ther renewables are in the
limelight of public discussion. Wind
fueling the energy market
Thanks to its versatility, biomass promises great potential for renewables and could fuel growth for the valve industry. Alas, its image problem has yet to be overcome.
Biomass is booming Power companies in these countries are harnessing this potential and are busy constructing biomass power plants. In the Austrian town of Steyr, a biomass heating plant was put into operation to supply the district heating grid in Steyr. Both residential and industrial areas with companies such as the BMW Plant Steyr and MAN are supplied with heat from a renewable source of energy. Wood chips are used as fuel in the biomass heating plant Steyr. Steam is created in the biomass boiler with a thermal output of 30 MW, reaching a pressure level of around 90 bar and a temperature of 525°C. The steam is overheated in three superheaters and then flows to a back pressure turbine, which generates power with an output of 5500 kW. The entire exhaust steam is used for district heating. A buffer with a volume
of 254 cubic meters is used to balance supply peaks. The plant in Steyr reduces CO2 emissions by more than 50.000 tons annually.
Electricity and district heating Vattenfall also operates numerous biomass heating plants throughout Europe, such as the Sellessen power plant in the German federal state of Brandenburg. Biomass supplied to the power plant is first separated from extraneous materials like stone or metal, states the company. “The fuel subsequently reaches the boiler and is burnt at high temperatures“, utilising the energy set free to turn water into steam. “A turbine is powered by this steam, which in turn is connected to a generator“, the company explains. Electricity is thus generated. In turn, residual heat can be used for district heating. Residues such as ash
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however remain after the burning process. “These can again be used to a large extent. When possible, Vattenfall makes sure that ash and cinder are tested for quality and used as aggregates for building materials or as a base course layer in road construction.“ The most widely used biomass materials are saw dust, wood waste, tree bark, treated wood, straw, rice husk, biological sludge or waste materials with high organic content. Biomass materials are utilised either through burning or gasification.
Important role in the energy mix German power company RWE enjoys the benefits of using biomass, too. It is “one of the most important areas we are focussing on. Biomass can play an important role in a broad energy mix in Europe“, the corporation emphasises. A lot of companies
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