November 2018

On 8 November 2018, about 10 years after the initial commissioning, the biomass power plant BEC Twence in Hengelo, Netherlands, was inaugurated with a big celebration following modification to increase performance.

Twence Holding B.V. planned an increase in performance at the existing BEC Twence biomass power plant. For that, the steam production of the waste wood combustion plant was to be increased from 80 t/h to 90 t/h and by reinstallation of the steam turbine the possibility of the supply of district heat was to be created. This measure was accompanied by an increase in the overall plant efficiency.

Standardkessel Baumgarte was commissioned with the investigation of the effects of the performance increase on the thermal part of the plant. In this case, first of all the feasibility in principle of the performance increase was processed in accordance with the order placed on 15.07.2015. After the positive result of the first investigation, Standardkessel Baumgarte was entrusted, by order dated 02.03.2016, with the specific task of checking all the components with regard to their suitability for future operation, and in the cases in which modification or replacement was necessary, of preparing appropriate concepts and to then also assessing these with reference to the investment costs to be anticipated.

The goal, which was achieved to the full extent with the modification, was to retain the fuel supply, the combustion air system, the feedwater system, the boiler with its safety devices and the whole flue gas path incl. the flue gas cleaning system, despite the increase in performance, with the fewest modification measures possible. It was necessary to optimize the process combustion control system accordingly.

This was possible in almost all cases; the induced draught fan was the exception, in which the reserves of the individual, originally supplied components of the boiler plant and the fuel supply system were used.