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District heating production from renewable sources
Published on 28 December 2020
Finland
Etelä-Suomi
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
Building the new plant Kymijärvi III was motivated by the plan of the city of Lahti to reduce its carbon emission and to abandon coal for energy production. The price of coal has continued to rise due to the rise of taxes on fossil fuels and the cost of emissions allowances too. As the energy company is owned by the city it is able to act directly on the climate goals of the region and the municipality.
New bio-heating plant with the main fuel of certified PEFC or FSC-certified, wood-based biofuel meaning the wood used is lumber industry waste consisting of forestry residues and waste from sawmills. The plant will be built as a high-pressure steam boiler with the possibility of adding a turbine for electricity production if the price of electricity rises. The power plant is also equipped with a heat recovery system, which increases the efficiency of the plant. The system can recover about 30-45 megawatts of thermal energy from the flue gases. The resulting condensates are also highly purified and used in the boiler and as district heating water making the plant water independent and fly ash captured by the scrubber is recycled back into the forests as fertilizer.
Stakeholders for such plant are biomass producers, renewable fertilizer users, district heat users.
New bio-heating plant with the main fuel of certified PEFC or FSC-certified, wood-based biofuel meaning the wood used is lumber industry waste consisting of forestry residues and waste from sawmills. The plant will be built as a high-pressure steam boiler with the possibility of adding a turbine for electricity production if the price of electricity rises. The power plant is also equipped with a heat recovery system, which increases the efficiency of the plant. The system can recover about 30-45 megawatts of thermal energy from the flue gases. The resulting condensates are also highly purified and used in the boiler and as district heating water making the plant water independent and fly ash captured by the scrubber is recycled back into the forests as fertilizer.
Stakeholders for such plant are biomass producers, renewable fertilizer users, district heat users.
Expert opinion
The good practice of the city's energy plant to abandon coal and invest in a wood-fired power plant is fully in line with the target of decarbonisation and shows how publicly owner power providers can play their part in the energy transition.
The use of waste wood from forestry industry as input feedstock for the plant is another good practice as it uses a waste as a resource instead of a virgin resource. The heat recovery element of the plant is also state of the art and shows how even in power production efficiency measures can use waste heat to a purpose. This overall good practice puts the city of Lathi another time at the forefront of good practices for heat generation, alongside with its RDF power plant and the biogas plant for biowaste. Cities in the Nordic with forestry industry should be particularly interested in this practice.
The use of waste wood from forestry industry as input feedstock for the plant is another good practice as it uses a waste as a resource instead of a virgin resource. The heat recovery element of the plant is also state of the art and shows how even in power production efficiency measures can use waste heat to a purpose. This overall good practice puts the city of Lathi another time at the forefront of good practices for heat generation, alongside with its RDF power plant and the biogas plant for biowaste. Cities in the Nordic with forestry industry should be particularly interested in this practice.
Works at
Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform
Resources needed
Total investment 180 M EUR.
The employment effect is approximately 1000 man-years and the plant's domesticity is approximately 40%. The plant employs ~100 people directly or indirectly.
As new technology the flue gas scrubber has received energy aid from Ministry of Industry totalling 35000 €.
The employment effect is approximately 1000 man-years and the plant's domesticity is approximately 40%. The plant employs ~100 people directly or indirectly.
As new technology the flue gas scrubber has received energy aid from Ministry of Industry totalling 35000 €.
Evidence of success
Kymijärvi III will allow total replacement of coal in energy use in the city of Lahti while at the same time fulfilling the City of Lahti goals for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. CO2 emissions reduced by 600 tons/year.
Potential for learning or transfer
Kymijärvi III is evidence of how coal can be replaced by biomass in large plants. Any country with forest industry will have forest biomass that is unsuitable for lumber or pulp production, but which can be utilized as energy biomass. As such, Kymijärvi III is an example of what can be done with what could otherwise go to waste. As example of a public rather than private company owned by the city it has the ability to act directly on public policy.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Lab university of applied sciences
Finland
Pohjois- ja Itä-Suomi
Contact
RDI specialist