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Sandvik Biomass Tri-generation Plant Cluster
Published on 27 February 2018
Sweden
Småland med öarna
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About this good practice
The Sandvik plant is owned by the city of Växjö, a forerunner in becoming a fossil fuel free city. All heating for the city is produced in one single place. Thousands of heating boilers and chimneys are replaced by modern, efficient plants where flue gases can be cleaned efficiently. The fuel consists of residues from forestry, wood chips, bark, sawdust, logging, branches and tops. After the residues has been incinerated, ash is returned to the forest, bringing the nutrients back to grow new trees. With its circular economy, Sandvik plant´s industrial symbiosis contributes to a sustainable society and a cleaner environment both locally and globally.
Production (2017):
539 GWh - district heating
11 GWh cooling - hospital and mall
202 GWh - electricity to the market
Forest owners sell the residues from forestry to Växjö Energy and use the ash as a natural fertilizer. Forwarding companies collect the residues and transport to the plant. The district heating grid enables 7000 homes and 700 businesses to warm their homes and facilities, which means that approximately 80–85 per cent of all heating and hot water consumption in Växjö comes from the Sandvik Plant. Hospitals and shopping centers purchase district cooling. The electricity system in Sweden is deregulated and the electricity is sold on the northern electricity market. However, it covers half of the demand in Växjö.
Production (2017):
539 GWh - district heating
11 GWh cooling - hospital and mall
202 GWh - electricity to the market
Forest owners sell the residues from forestry to Växjö Energy and use the ash as a natural fertilizer. Forwarding companies collect the residues and transport to the plant. The district heating grid enables 7000 homes and 700 businesses to warm their homes and facilities, which means that approximately 80–85 per cent of all heating and hot water consumption in Växjö comes from the Sandvik Plant. Hospitals and shopping centers purchase district cooling. The electricity system in Sweden is deregulated and the electricity is sold on the northern electricity market. However, it covers half of the demand in Växjö.
Resources needed
The Sandvik plant cluster consists of several plants built at different times, hence it is difficult to specify the resources needed. However, the CO2-tax that Sweden has had since 1991, has been important to make the investments profitable.
Evidence of success
Significant reduction in CO2-emissions from fossil fuels in Växjö; creating 58% per capita reduction in 2017 compared to 1993. Other results are regional growth; local jobs, income to forestry land owners, local saw mills, income to contractors, tax income to the municipality and hedging against energy price increases. Transparency and democratic control of the local energy system; reasonable price for heating and secure distribution.
Potential for learning or transfer
The concept can be used where there is a forest industry, that will generate waste feedstock suitable for incineration. Of course, it will be an advantage to have an existing district heating grid. There are substantial investment costs for deploying the grid, and homes need to be converted to a central heating system with water, if they don’t have one.
Co- and trigeneration is an energy efficient production, as it generates heating, electricity and in this case cooling at the same time. Often other electricity productions do not make use of the heat that is always generated in combustion/nuclear process. For co-generation, the efficiency is around 90%.
If Europe had as much district heating as Sweden, the benefits would be around 100 B Euro per year, according to professor Sven Werner at Halmstad University.
Co- and trigeneration is an energy efficient production, as it generates heating, electricity and in this case cooling at the same time. Often other electricity productions do not make use of the heat that is always generated in combustion/nuclear process. For co-generation, the efficiency is around 90%.
If Europe had as much district heating as Sweden, the benefits would be around 100 B Euro per year, according to professor Sven Werner at Halmstad University.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Swedish ESF-council in Småland with Islands
Sweden
Småland med öarna
Contact
Development Manager