Small scale CHP Life+

Different techniques for small-scale combined heat and electricity production


Between 2014-2020, three different techniques for small-scale electricity production of biomass-based cogeneration have been built and demonstrated in southeastern Sweden as part of the project Small Scale CHP LIFE+. Partners of the project, where the demonstration plants are built, are Emå Dairy in Hultsfred and Ronneby Environment & Technology AB. There is also collaboration with Linnaeus University, Bioenergy Group, Svebio, Swedish District Heating and Energy Agency in order to study the possibilities for small-scale combined heat and power from a systems point of view.

Short summarizing report on the results: Small-scale heat and power -  plannable, local, and circular (2020)


Project results

Through the demonstration of the pilot plants, this project has been a catalyst for starting a process that now runs on its own.  The project has reach all its objectives and resulted in the following:

 

  • Three small scale combined heat and power plants have been built, demonstrating three different techniques; WST, ORC and a gasifier.
  • Study visits are offered and the goal of 900 visits to the three plants are reached.
  • 15 ORC:S has been installed at different plants in Sweden since the start of the demonstrations, all companies have been at a study visit to the ORC demonstration plant.
  • A handbook (in Swedish) covering everyting from planning and procurement to installation and results from the demonstration plants.
  • The plants has generated a lot of interest from media resulting in over 60 articles.
  • The project has been presented at over 30 conferences nationally and internationally.

 

Read about the specific results and findings per techniques - see links below.

Partners and techniques

 

 

Emå Dairy is a local producer of milk and dairy products in Hultsfred. The plant is owned and run by the farmers themselves. They have a strong local and environmental profile with their slogan "Milk from your area".

 

They have installed a gasification plant where wood chips are converted into heat and electricity. 

Read about the results and findings

 

Ronneby Miljö & Teknik AB is a municipal corporation, wholly-owned by Ronneby municipality. They manage power, heat, water, sewage, sanitation, fiber optic networks and broadband. Their goal is to combine environmental responsibility with economic efficiency.

 

They have installed wet steam turbine for electricity production on the existing district heating plant, Sörbyverket. 
Read about the results and findings

 

The company have also installed an ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) at the district heating plant in Bräkne-Hoby. 
Read about the results and findings 

Publications

Continuation after the project

 After the end of the project, the work will continue through:

  • Knowledge of small-scale CHP solutions has increased among the project´s target group (industry organizations, authorities and companies) in Sweden through the project activities.
  • Companies will continue to invest in small-scale CHPs (now that they are familliar with the working techniques and see others investing)
  • The authorities (the Swedish Energy Agency and the country administrative boards) are now aware of the possibility of small-scale CHP and they have included the possibility of small-scale CHP in to their regional energy and climate strategies that apply for several years to come.  
  • The steering group members (the industry organisations Svebio and Swedenergy) will: 
    • Actively continue to work to influence policies for bio-based cogeneration. It will also benefit the ability of small-scale CHP to expand.
    • Continue to spread the knowledge about small-scale cogeneration through network meetings for companies and authorities, newsletter, articles and through seminars/conferences. 
  • Knowledge and awareness has also increased among boiler manufacturers and consultants,  who will now also work with small-scale cogeneration.
  • Through its co-financing of the project, the Swedish Energy Agency has gained increased knowledge about small-scale CHP solutions and its possibilities. Through the Swedish Energy Agency the work will live on by
    • Increased project financing for small-scale CHP projects
    • Awareness of the importance of cogeneration and it’s the role in the energy system
    • Increased efforts for a flexible and robust electricity system
  • Energikontor Sydost will also two years after the project spread the development of small-scale CHP by following the new installations and diseeminate the results at a yearly conference. 
  • The pilot facilities are open for study visits two years after the project. 
     

List of companies that has installed ORC during the project

The following companies has invested in an ORC plant during the project and all have been at the demonstration site for a study visit.

 

  • ETC (50KW) 
  • Solör Bioenergi i Hörby (50kW) 
  • Örkelljunga fjärrvärme (200kW) 
  • VänerEnergi (50kW) 
  • Alvesta Energi (50kW) 
  • Högsby Energi (50kW) 
  • Eidsiva i Elverum Norge (450kW) 
  • Perstorp Energi (315kW) 
  • Solör Bioenergi i Vilhelmina (250kW) 
  • Solör Bioenergi i Svenljunga (315 kW) 
  • Ragn-sells Norrköping (120kW) 
  • Finspång Tekniska Verk (450 kW) 
  • Ystad Energi (250 x 3 KW) 
  • Västervik Energi och Miljö (90 kW) 

Project background

Project objectives

This project will demonstrate different small-scale biomass CHP technologies. The aim is to pave the way for a broader application of biomass CHP technology. The knowledge gained will be disseminated on a regional, national and European level.

 

The main project objectives are to

• demonstrate the technologies at small-scale biomass-based CHP plants that will be built in in Southeast Sweden;

• promote the use of, and a business model for, small-scale biomass-based CHP technology at the regional, national and Europe level; and

• increase the production of renewable electricity by promoting local small-scale biomass-based electricity production.

 

Background

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technologies based on biomass combustion have great potential to reduce CO2 emissions because they use renewable energy sources, such as wood fuels or sawdust. Typical fields of application for biomass CHP plants are wood processing industries, sawmills, district heating systems and industries with a high process heat and cooling demand. Inorder for CHP plants to operate in a way that is economically and ecologically beneficial, both the electricity and the heat produced must be used.

 

CHP technology is already available on Swedish and European markets. Due to the high installation costs, and a lack of information about its efficiency, the technology is, however, currently not widely used in small-scale plants. Extensive research has been undertaken to illustrate the vast environmental potential of CHP technology but a larger initiative that looks at increasing market application is still needed.

Conference participation 2020

2020-07-07Daniella Johansson, projektledare på Energikontor Sydost presenterar projektet Småskalig kraftvärme.

The results of the Life+ project Small Scale CHP was presented for 50 attendees at a webinar arranged by the BIOCOGEN 2030 platform, on July 7th 2020. You can find the recoding of the webinar and the presentations for downloading here:  

 

The aim of the webinar was to give a chance for CHP (co-generation of heat and power) projects and companies to present their CHP solutions and enlarge the network of the BIOCOGEN 2030 platform. The webinar was held as a side event to the European Biomass Conference and Exhibition that was moved to a virtual platform to cope with the COVID 19 emergency.  

 

2020-01-24

Small scale CHP Life+ presented at the Central European Biomass Conference

On January 24, experiences from our small-scale chp project were presented at the Central European Biomass Conference in Graz. The conference is held every other year and attracts researchers, entrepreneurs, politicians and suppliers who share a common interest and knowledge in bioenergy. This year, the conference was held between 22 - 24 January 2020 , attracting a total of 1,500 participants.

In addition to disseminating our knowledge of small-scale cogeneration in the southeast Sweden and Sweden in general to those attending the lecture, all conference participants also received information in the form of an abstract from all lectures being presented at the conference, including that of the Energy Agency of southeast Sweden and the Life+ project Small-scale cogeneration from bioenergy.

 

Attending the conference also provided knowledge of the situation and trends of bioenergy in Europe. Above all, our project manager Daniella Johansson got to meet and talk to suppliers of small-scale gasification technologies that are not yet available on the market in Sweden.

 

For information on all conferences, see report under Deliverables above.

Collaborations with similar projects

BattleCO2 - the use of biomass in production of asphalt

 

LIFE BIOGAS XPOSE - production of biogas


SecureChain - sustainable bioenergy chains


Bioenergigruppen - network for increasing the use of bioenergy in the south of Sweden

Plants for small-scale Combined Heat and Power production are built in Southeast Sweden for demonstration of techniques.  Project period July 2014–December 2020.
With support from the Swedish Energy Agency, EU financial instrument Life+ and Energiföretagen Sverige. 

 
 
LIFE13 ENV/SE/000113 LIFE+ small scale CHP