Opcon increases energy efficiency at Vattenfall’s biomass-powered plant

Svensk Rökgasenergi (SRE), a subsidiary of Opcon AB, the energy and environmental technology Group, has received an order from HOTAB concerning SRE’s technology that utilises waste heat and increases the efficiency of burning biomass at Vattenfall’s district heating plant in Gustavsberg. This is the second order to be received for a Vattenfall plant this autumn, following the order for the Vattenfall district heating plant at Överkalix earlier on. Delivery is planned for 2009 and 2010. “The improvements in energy efficiency and reduction in emissions that our products achieve are attracting increased interest among customers in Sweden and abroad. When a company like Vattenfall, with its know how and high demands for both profitability and environmental impact, selects us it shows the strength of our products,” says Rolf Hasselström, President and CEO of Opcon AB, speaking ahead of the Bioenergy conference in Linköping. “We are keen to use the latest technology to cut our environmental impact in the areas where our heating plants are located. Our emissions of hard dust particles will be extremely low. It is also very important to continually strive to improve the efficiency of our plants. Our investment in flue gas condensation means that we can generate a further 1.5 MW out of the fuel. This will contribute to our being able to offer stable, long-term prices to our customers,” says Jörgen Engström, plant manager, Vattenfall Heat in Gustavsberg. Last week Vattenfall also placed an extra order with Opcon’s subsidiary, Saxlund, for equipment for the large bioenergy plant Vattenfall is building at Jordbro, outside Stockholm. SRE is a part of Opcon’s expanding Renewable Energy business area and its Waste to Value campaign with special focus on Waste Heat Recovery and Bioenergy. SRE supplies systems for treatment and energy efficiency improvement to district heating plants powered by biomass, sawmills, pellets manufacturers and commercial greenhouses. The company also supplies treatment equipment to large industrial groups and drying systems for biomass. SRE’s Renergi product system is based on heat recovery, with waste heat being recovered through flue gas condensation which means both significant reductions in emissions and major energy savings. The capacity of a boiler powered by biofuel can be increased by up to 25-50% depending on the configuration while emissions of hard dust particles can be cut considerably. Waste heat is currently an enormous, largely unutilised energy resource across the world. The International Energy Agency estimates that over 60% of the energy in global electricity production is converted into heat.