Energy firm Helen has engaged Valmet to convert its coal-fired district heat boiler at the Salmisaari ‘A’ power plant in Helsinki, Finland to bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) combustion to allow wood pellet firing.
Valmet is a Finnish developer and supplier of process technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries.
The conversion is aligned with Helen’s goal to phase out coal and develop a sustainable energy system. The company aims to achieve 100 percent carbon neutrality in its energy production by 2030.
“Sustainable bioenergy is part of the overall solution to achieve our goal,” said Juhani Aaltonen, who is responsible for Helen’s sustainable energy solutions. “The versatile production structure ensures reliability of heat supply even in freezing weather. This project is an important step for us on the way to carbon neutrality.”
The project involves the modification of the hot water boiler from pulverized coal to wood pellets on a bubbling fluidized bed boiler with a fuel capacity of 150 MW. The delivery also includes a flue gas cleaning system, a heat recovery system, and a modification to the Valmet DNA automation system, as well as all required auxiliary systems.
The converted boiler is expected to be delivered to Helen in January 2025. Following the conversion, the plant will generate district heat with a high level of efficiency, with the flue gas temperature at the stack reaching just 13°C, Valmet says.
The project is an extension of an existing partnership between Helen and Valmet, which started with the commencement of a 92-MWth pellet-fired heating plant at the Salmisaari power plant area in 2018. Additionally, the heat recovery plant belonging to the Vuosaari bioheating plant will be completed this year.
“Converting an existing coal-fired boiler to biofuel combustion is a quick and cost-effective way to transition from fossil to renewable fuels,” said Niina Ollikka, Director, Energy Business Unit, Rebuilds and Conversions, Valmet.
