COMBINED HEAT & POWER
Removing the responsibility for their CHP engines from a single service provider and handing it to two smaller, expert companies, has delivered big rewards for a local authority-owned anaerobic digestion (AD) plant, as gas engine upgrading specialist Gen-C explains
I
n the past, it has been common for the owners of anaerobic digestion (AD) plants to use lengthy
combined heat & power (CHP) service contracts to safeguard their engines. But faced with issues like disjointed communication, lengthy waits for engine restarts and expensive call-out charges, these operators are now turning to smaller specialist firms for a more flexible and cost-effective solution. This was the case for an AD plant situated on
a local authority recycling park in Bedfordshire. The 600kW facility converts over 30,000 tonnes of kerbside-collected food waste each year into renewable energy and employs two MWM V12 CHP (combined heat and power) engines. When the plant owner’s relationship with their
long-term engine service provider broke down, they wanted an alternative that would offer local taxpayers better value for money. While the day- to-day CHP management was set to be managed by a third-party company that already handled the recycling park’s steam turbines, additional support from reliable partners was also required for the engines’ servicing and spares. “We had previously supplied the owners with
high-quality CHP spare parts and have a strong reputation within the waste and AD industry for engine upgrading solutions, so when they approached us with this latest request we were keen to help,” explained Gen-C’s James Thompson. “Having also developed a strong working relationship with servicing experts GenV, I knew that we could once again work together to deliver an expert, bespoke, value-for-money solution for the waste recycling plant’s owners to ensure the continued reliable and efficient running of their CHPs.”
OPEN-ACCESS CONTROL The CHP control panels had been locked by the
previous service provider to prevent the owners from accessing them and, without direct access, effective engine management would be impossible. If the CHPs stalled or shut down – which could happen due to a change in biogas composition or bad weather – the operators would be unable to restart them and would incur significant and costly engine downtime while they waited for an engineer to arrive. To help, Gen-C offered to supply and install
brand-new, open-access Motortech control panels, fitted with the latest intelligent ComAp technology. This would give full control to the plant managers themselves, significantly increase engine uptime. Open-access control panels allow CHP owners
to dial in remotely at any time and from anywhere to manage their engines’ performance directly. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, this facility has proved especially popular with Gen-C’s customers, as it requires fewer personnel to be on site. The control panels also feature IGS-LOG software,
a monitoring technology that enables managers to understand what constitutes normal operation for their engines and spot any downward trends or anomalies before they affect their smooth operation. The software also issues an alert if a fault occurs and allows the operators to diagnose and rectify it themselves, and even remotely restart the engines. This significantly reduces downtime. Satisfied with this solution, the plant owners took
the decision to give both of the waste recovery park’s CHP engines a complete overhaul. The first CHP was out of action for just seven days, during which time it underwent a full E60 service by GenV and was fitted with an upgraded open-access control panel by Gen-C. Gen-C also installed a series of new and improved Motortech parts specific for biogas engines to improve performance further, including a VariFuel gas mixer, an MIC4 ignition
Unlocking the control panel has given the power back to the operator
controller and a DetCon 20 detonation control system. The overhaul of the second engine was completed a month later, also taking just one week.
THE BENEFITS As a result of the project, the engines not only start first time but run more smoothly, explained Thompson. He added: “Should a simple issue cause either of the engines to temporarily shut down, the operators can now restart it themselves within seconds instead of waiting for a service provider to respond. And if the cause is something more serious, they can assess it remotely and either fix it themselves or call us to have it up and running within hours, not days. This has resulted in increased engine uptime and better, more reliable, performance. And as the plant owners are no longer tied into an expensive monthly service contract, their bills are significantly lower, too.”
Gen-C
www.gen-c.co.uk
The AD plant converts over 30,000 tonnes
of kerbside-collected food waste each year into renewable energy
FOOD FOR THOUGHT... how to regain control of your CHP 32 ENERGY MANAGEMENT - Summer 2022
www.energymanagementmag.co.uk
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