DISTRICT HEATING INDUSTRY NEWS equipment at Mölndal Energi
therefore has a direct effect on how long our operating season is. When we chose the supplier for our new boiler, we paid close attention to this because the better the performance is at low loads, the more electricity we can produce during Spring, Summer and Autumn. We have also installed coolers that we use on warm days. Our boiler has great performance at low loads and, together with the coolers, we get a very long operating season, more than 7,100 hours a year. We only stop the plant during the two hottest months. “In order for us to make progress, many different organisations and lots of people have to contribute. First we did the easy upgrades – the ‘low- hanging fruit’ if you like, but after this, things became more
difficult. When this happens, you have to focus on the long-term perspective and keep going. If we can improve a little every year, we will produce great results.”
To think ‘outside the box’ is an expression for being creative and finding new ways. This seems to be common practice at Mölndal Energi. “Today, we look for entirely new opportunities. We have an old boiler that is not used much and so far we’ve come up with 13 different alternatives for how to develop it. It’s exciting to think of what the future may bring,” concluded Christian.
Increased output Mölndal Energi ordered a study from Valmet to find ways to increase the energy output
from its designed 70 MWth to as much as 77 MWth. Shortly afterwards, a second study was ordered with the aim of finding ways to increase energy output to 80 MWth – 15% above the designed capacity. Thomas Nordin, Sales and Project Manager at Valmet, commented on some of the important steps in the work. “The plant has to remain safe when the energy output increases, so I recommended getting an independent third party involved from the beginning. Consequently, we at Valmet, our customer Mölndal Energi and Inspecta were able to work together from the beginning. I think this made the work easier for all of us.”
Increasing capacity is not always an easy thing to do.
Thomas continued, “Each plant is unique because the boiler is built to match local demands. For example, the fuel mix, all the auxiliary systems and the turbine are chosen based on the design as well. It’s not always easy to increase the energy output. In this case, we went through all the critical systems and described what steps could be taken. We calculated new flows for things like flue gas and steam, and also new operating parameters for air and oxygen. Some equipment also needed to be upgraded before we could start.
“It’s professionally rewarding to get good results like this. It’s always nice.”
More information from
www.valmet.com
Christian Schwartz, CEO of Mölndal Energi.
Thomas Nordin, Sales and Project Manager at Valmet.
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