2016

A new biomass chp plant inaugurated in Stockholm

Sweden's largest biomass co-generation power plant located almost in the Stockholm city centre has launched its operation. Also wood chips and wood waste from Latvian forests are used to produce heat for more than 190 thousand households, consuming around 12 000 cubic metres of wood chips daily. The new biomass co-generation plant was opened in a ceremony this week, and already this autumn it will start its operation in commercial mode.

The new plant, which produces both - heat and electricity is owned by the municipality of Stockholm and the Finnish group "Fortum". With the help of the plant is planned to reduce emissions in Stockholm and the surrounding area by about 126 thousand tons annually.

The CHP plant is located in the Stockholm port area, which is also used by "Tallink" passenger ferry from Latvia. The site has not been chosen randomly; it has a number of significant advantages. First of all, historically there has been a central coal-based heating boiler-house. Therefore for the locals not much will change.

Secondly, the location in the port area facilitates the supply of fuel for the CPH. It is planned that the new CHP plant will annually consume about 3.5 million cubic metres of wood chips. For comparison - JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM) this year plans to produce 0.46 million loose cubic metres of wood chips. The required quantity of fuel for a power plant of this size is stored in a huge cliff cave. Stocks in such warehouse facilitate the operation of the plant only for five days, therefore the biomass supply logistics system is of key importance.

Some ships also from Latvia

The supply of wood chips by ship allows transportation of fuel without disturbing peace and quiet in the area. It is planned that 50% of raw materials will be imported by a sea route. Therefore the port has a very important role. Every three to four days ships from Finland and the Baltic countries arrive to the port. LVM is among the suppliers of raw materials for this biomass power plant. In the future, giant ships with wood chips from Africa or America will also berth at this port.

40% of the necessary raw material supplies are planned to be carried by rail. Every day, a train-set with 30 wagons with 175 cubic metres of wood chips in each of them will stop at the CHP plant. This way, raw materials obtained even as far as in a distance of 400 km will be supplied to the CHP plant. To implement this plan, contracts have been signed with a number of Swedish sawmills and forest owners, including the state forest manager "Sveaskog". Approximately 10% of all wood chips are planned to be delivered from forests surrounding Stockholm using trucks.

Swedish energy strategy

Construction of this plant is the next step, focused on the Swedish national strategy for energy independence adopted in the 1970s - during the oil crisis. According to the plan, by 2030 Sweden intends to become a country in which 100% of the energy used is generated from renewable resources. It is also planned to switch to cars that use electricity or some other source of energy that can be restored. Already now the energy produced from biomass, accounts for 32% in the Swedish energy balance. It is the largest source of energy, also including fossil fuels consumed by cars. This general national policy is entirely in line with the goals of Stockholm municipality. George Lars Hedlund, CEO of one of Sweden's largest forestry companies "Bergvik Skog" Ltd, says: "Already for several years, Stockholm has been purposefully working to become independent from fossil fuels by 2030. Once the new CHP plant is put into operation, more than 90% of the approximately 2 million people living in the large cities will use renewable resources for heating. The new plant is not the only one in Stockholm - around eight large and a number of smaller heating plants using both wood chips and pellets operate in the area. They are connected in a common heating network and complement each other. There is still a small percentage of energy obtained from non-renewable fuel; especially in cold weather the old idle capacities, operating with fossil fuels are used. Since these plants are used only for a couple weeks each year, it is not useful to change them; however, after the end of their working life, they will be replaced with state-of-the-art new CHP power plants using renewable resources".

Wood chips - it is not expensive

The heat energy system in Stockholm still needs some improvements, but electricity-wise the city already is independent. All of the CHP plants operated with renewable resources produce more electricity than the Swedish capital needs.

"Similarly like in Latvia, also Swedish companies, which generate electricity from renewable resources, are supported at national level. For 15 years they are entitled to receive an additional € 0.02 for each produced kilowatt. Consumers do not oppose to this, because they understand the importance of this step. In such a system, the central heating prices in Stockholm are similar to the prices in Riga, but electricity, compared with Latvia, is even cheaper. Consequently, the use of biomass does not imply higher costs for consumers. Looking at the heating tariffs in the Latvian cities, where wood chips are used for heating, compared with those that use fossil fuel, the result is in favour of wood chips. Stockholm is a perfect example to illustrate what can be achieved if these issues are being purposefully addressed. The Swedish policy that focuses on the use of renewable resources, of course, also affects the price of low-value timber. In Stockholm wood chips cost two times more than in Latgale forest, for example. Such prices call for forest owners to consider collection and sale of otherwise unprofitable logging residues, thus giving benefit from the use of renewable resources to both - forest owners, as well as residents of Sweden," says Lars George Hedlund.