Mining’s old guard needs strong medicine
A new report details subpar investor returns in the mining industry over the last decade, particularly big cap diversified companies which have not adapted to new realities.
Finland’s largest pellet-fired heating plant, which was supplied by Metso to Tampereen Energiantuotanto Oy, Tampere, is based on a technological solution that is the first of its kind in the country. It will bring new opportunities to gear the structure of Finnish district heat production towards the goals of sustainable development. Previously, peak load plants have been using fossil fuels because there was no other technology available.
The plant is mainly fired with wood pellets and its heat output is around 33 MW. The plant has replaced some of the capacity of the oil- and gas-fired boiler plants and has thus helped substantially reduce the CO2 emissions from the production of district heat. The plant has been producing environmentally friendly energy in Tampere since December.
“The plant will help us to secure the competitiveness of district heat, lower CO2 emissions and improve our delivery reliability in the southern region of Tampere,” says Managing Director Antti-Jussi Halminen from Tampereen Energiantuotanto.
Metso’s delivery comprised a complete turn-key boiler plant solution and Metso DNA automation system. The new plant operates unmanned with remote monitoring from the main control room of the Lielahti power plant. By using the reliable automation technology, the operators are able to flexibly control the district heat production process and quickly respond to changes. The technology used at the plant is based on the pellet fuel being pulverized in separate grinding mills and burned in a pulverized combustion boiler. The start-up and load control of the combustion process is remarkably high and the pulverized fuel allows for clean, energy efficient and flexible heat generation. Pulverized pellet combustion is new to Finland, but Metso has been using it in Sweden on a smaller scale.
“This was a major delivery for Metso, as it is the first reference using this technology for district heat generation on such a large scale. The Bioheat RampUp plant delivered by us enables the use of pellets and oil, simultaneously in any proportion or separately, in one and the same boiler, which is operated unmanned,” says Jussi Orhanen, Director, Heat & Power Plants, Power business line, Metso.
According to Orhanen, the solution is also an excellent option for industry presently using heavy fuel oil for generating process steam.
Tampereen Energiantuotanto Oy, a subsidiary of Tampere Power Utility, is responsible for the group’s electricity and district heating production, maintenance and development. Increasing the proportion of renewable energy sources is part of Tampere Power Utility’s strategy.
