COMBINED HEAT & POWER


CHP: AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY OF GENERATING POWER


Needing a more efficient way to source energy for its Norwich Facility,


Briar Chemicals opted for a low emission energy CHP system from Finning, enabling it to self-generate nearly 80% of site power demand


D


ue to the energy intensive nature of chemicals manufacturing, power costs are a significant


expenditure for Briar Chemicals. The company therefore enlisted design engineers Inspec Systems to explore alternatives to its old, redundant, inefficient and unreliable gas turbine CHP, which failed to meet current and future MCP Directives. “We recognised that it was time to look at


cheaper and more environmentally friendly ways of generating power. But this would only be viable if a solution could be found that did not impact on our productivity,” commented Iain Sinclair, procurement manager at Briar Chemicals.


ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENTS Inspec Systems identified that the construction of a new reciprocating engine CHP system would provide Briar with the low emission energy it needed, whilst being MCPD compliant. Finning was therefore contacted to help conduct feasibility studies on the best configuration and Best Available Technique (BAT). This required detailed analysis and assessment of the site’s heating and power demand to ensure not only reliability but also efficiency and therefore the maximum possible energy savings. Scott Tamplin, sales manager at Finning


explained: “Sizing CHP is a complex balance of understanding bespoke site characteristics for power consumption, heat utilisation, heat temperatures and pressures, whilst trying to configure a system that is not only compatible for the site with simple,


www.essmag.co.uk


non-invasive interfaces, but delivers sustainability and integrity whilst maintaining resilience of services for the factory production team.” This feasibility process allowed Finning and Inspec


Systems to specify the CHP generator details fuelled by low carbon natural gas which would provide Briar with 2MWe of low carbon electricity and steam. To achieve this the generator was installed into a bespoke acoustically controlled


container to manage noise levels, as well as being fitted with an 18 bar steam raising boiler connected to the CHP’s exhaust system. Heat from the engine jacket was also captured and fed into the boiler feedwater system, which increased the overall CHP coefficient of performance (COP) efficiencies to meet stringent CHP quality assurance measurements and financial incentives.


FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS – HYDROGEN POWER Briar can now benefit from a low emission energy CHP system that provides the majority of its power needs. This will be upgraded to run on a blend of hydrogen once the UK Government rolls out their UK hydrogen strategy, and blends green or blue hydrogen in or alongside the natural gas network. The Finning team is now working closely


with Briar to develop a bespoke service and maintenance agreement to extend equipment life and maximise the investment. Thanks to the new CHP system, Briar is


now able to generate around 80% of its energy needs, offsetting the more expensive energy it takes from the grid. Sinclair added: “We are now able to benefit


from a highly efficient CHP system that means we have significantly lowered our environmental footprint and energy bills. And we have the peace of mind that this is backed by expert support from Finning when needed.”


Finning www.finning.com/en_GB.html


ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Winter 2023 27


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