Complex enough for Fortum eNext

27 August 2019, 8:26 EEST

In April, Fortum eNext took on a taxing task from Göteborg Energi in Sweden. The project has two major dimensions: supplying the plant with nitrogen oxide reduction equipment, and designing and installing a new automation system and switchgear, all on a tight schedule in order to complete the work before winter. The project is now running in full swing.

Fortum eNext took on a taxing project in Göteborg Energi's Angered Panncentral in Sweden.

Göteborg Energi is a municipal energy company that produces and distributes energy to the people of Gothenburg in West Sweden. The project Fortum eNext won is in Angered Panncentral, which is a bio-fueled facility that is taken into operation when additional heat is needed during the cold season.

The scope of the work is to deliver new, state-of-art combustion system including burners with related auxiliary equipment in two of the boilers. The main tasks are to renew old installations, to increase availability to use bio-oils and, what is more, at the same time further reduce the level of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Another critical measure is the renovation of the existing automation system in all three boilers.

“Our sales team in Sweden noticed the public tendering by Göteborg Energi just before Christmas last year. The complexity of the work fitted our competence very well, and we were in a good position to offer our spot-on expertise in both combustion and automation field as well as reducing emissions,” says Product Manager Antti Heinolainen from Fortum eNext.

“Our specialized knowhow is in the designing and upgrading of different type of combustion systems using different fuels. The corner stone is to reduce emissions based on our own low-NOx burners. Our solution reduces nitrogen oxides effectively as the key is to prevent formation of NOx in the combustion process,“ he further continues.

The delivery is on-going under tight time pressure. The first boiler must be ready to use in October, when the outside temperature drops and additional heat is needed for the citizens. The other two boilers are also to be ready for operation in the beginning of December. Finally, as the power plant is right in the middle of the City of Gothenburg, an important aspect is also to lower the noise level for the nearby citizens.

The project is carried through with selected subcontractors for supplies and local partners that do the actual installation works on site. The project core team comprises of 6 to 8 experts in combustion and automation field. All in all the project will take some 5 000 in-house man-hours to complete. 

“By now all dismantling works have been completed and installations have started at the site. At this moment there are altogether more than 10 fitters working daily basis at site. Fortum low-NOx burners will be transported at the site in August and new automation cabinets to be supplied in September. Some tests will follow, and commissioning, fine tuning and optimization of the plant will be carried out by the end of the year.” 

After the modernizations are done, the Angered heat plant will ensure safe and reliable district heating supply with non-fossil fuels, and meeting new emission norms for many years to come for the citizens of Gothenburg. Fortum eNext has carried out the same type of boiler refurbishments in Sweden also in Fortum’s own facility in Värtan and for another customer in Uppsala.