L. D.

Fenger

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power Plants

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power

Plants
L. D. Fenger
DONG Energy Power
Avedre Power Station, Copenhagen
The use of Biomass in Power Plants is very high in Denmark. During 20 years with R&D work
together with operational experiences Denmark has today the most effective biomass fired power
plants. Biomass is used in small CHP plants as well as in large PF boilers with an electrical
efficiency near 50%.

1. Introduction
The use of biomass in the Danish power sector began with a political agreement in the Danish
Parliament in June 1986. The purpose was to use more domestic fuels like straw, wood, biogas,
waste and natural gas. The goal was to reach 450 MW el from CHP plants.
The Biomass Agreement in June 1993 was another important political agreement in the Danish
Parliament. The power utilities were required to incorporate 1.2 million tonnes of straw and 0.2
million tonnes of wood a year before year 2000. In July 1997 the agreement was slightly changed
to 1.0 million tonnes of straw, 0.2 million tonnes of wood and various biomass up to 19.5 PJ before
year 2000.
In 2008 more than 21 PJ per year is consumed in the form of straw, straw pellets, wood chips and
wood pellets in Danish power plants.
In 2009 a new straw fired boiler will by commissioned at Fynsvrket. The new power plant will use
170,000 tonnes or 2.5 PJ straw per year.
DONG Energy are allowed to use coal in Avedre unit 2 from 2010 if the use of biomass are
increased by 500,000 tonnes of straw or 7.25 PJ of biomass in Denmark for production of heat and
electricity.
In table 1 all power plants except Fynsvrket, Amagervrket and Rudkbing are owned and
operated by DONG Energy Power. Rudkbing are owned and operated by the municipality of
Rudkbing. Fynsvrket and Amagervrket are owned and operated by Vattenfall. The power
plants are using straw, wood chips, wood pellets or straw pellets. Some are using straw together
with wood chips like Masned CHP.
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L. D. Fenger

Plant
Kge 7
Haslev CHP
Slagelse CHP*
Rudkbing CHP
Grenaa CHP
Mbjergvrket**
Masned CHP
Enstedvrket 3 biomassplant
Kge 8
Maribo-Sakskbing CHP
Avedre 2 biomassplant
Avedre 2 main boiler
Herning CHP
Studstrupvrket 3+4
Amagervrket 2 (from 2009 unit 1)
Todays consumption of biomass
Herning CHP (+pellets)
Fynsvrket 8
Avedre

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power Plants

Type
stand alone
stand alone
stand alone
stand alone
stand alone
stand alone
stand alone
generates steam for unit 3 turbine
stand alone
stand alone
generates steam for unit 2 turbine
co-firing with oil or gas
stand alone
co-firing to coal
stand alone
stand alone
stand alone
stand alone

In operation Biomass (t/y)

1987
80.000
1989
26.000
1990
30.000
1990
14.000
1992
80.000
1993
65.000
1996
45.000
1998
150.000
1999
120.000
2000
45.000
2001
150.000
2001
300.000
2002
270.000
2002/05
130.000
2003
110.000
1.615.000
2009
50.000
2009
170.000
2010
350.000
(>31.5 PJ)
2.185.000

* The straw fired boiler (40 t/h) and a waste incineration boiler (18 t/h) are connected to the same turbine.
** The straw and wood chips fired boiler (39 MW th) and a waste incineration boilers (52 MW th) are connected to the same turbine.

Table 1 Power plants in Denmark owned by DONG Energy and Vattenfall using biomass

L. D. Fenger

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power Plants

Figure 2 DONG Energy power plants in Denmark.

Straw and wood chips are the
primary source of domestic
biomass used in Denmark. The
first generation of biomass CHP
plants built in Denmark were 100%
straw fired. The straw is delivered
in Hesston bales (heating value is
about 14,5 MJ/kg) to the power plants. Compared to coal the energy density is about 9 times
lower. The weight of one Hesston bale varies from 450 to 750 kg.
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L. D. Fenger

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power Plants

One of the main issues in the construction of the boilers is the high content of alkali chloride in the
fuel. This causes high risks for corrosion and fouling in the boiler. When the steam temperature is
above 450 C there is a high risk for high temperature corrosion of the super heater tubes.
Straw (DK)
Typical
Range

Water
% a.r.
12,0
8-20

Volatiles
%-d.b.
78
75-81

Ash
%-d.b.
4,5
2-8

C
%-d.b.
46
45-47

H
%-d.b.
5,7
5-6

N
%-d.b.
0,7
0,3-1

O
%-d.b.
41
37-43

Cl
%-d.b.
0,4
0,1-1,1

S
%-d.b.
0,15
0,1-0,2

Na
%-d.b.
0,1
<0,3

K
%-d.b.
1,0
0,2-2,5

P
%-d.b.
0,1
<0,2

LHV
MJ/kg-d.a.b.
18,5
<18-19

Table 2 Typical values for straw

2. First generation biomass plants

At Junckers wood processing industries in Kge, a grate fired wood chips boiler was
commissioned in 1987. It was called unit 7 and this boiler concept for wood chips is still being used
for boilers. In 1999 unit 8 was commissioned and with almost the same design as unit 7.
ENERGI E2 and later DONG Energy has owned and operated unit 7 and 8 since year 2000.
In 1989 the first straw fired power plant in the world was commissioned in Haslev. The next 2
plants in Slagelse and Rudkbing were commissioned shortly after in 1990.
The three Danish boiler manufactures (Vlund, lborg Boilers, and B&W Energi) each built a plant
using different firing and boiler concepts. The idea was to promote development of technologies for
small scale biomass fired CHP plants. These three plants are referred to as first generation
biomass plants.
At Haslev CHP it was chosen to feed Hesston bales directly into the boiler where the front end of
the Hesston bales is burning known as cigar-burners. Below the cigar-burners the boiler is
equipped with a grate. Not only ashes from the cigar-burner will drop on the grate but
occasionally larger parts of the Hesston bales may drop onto the grate and burn out.
This type of firing system has some disadvantages. It is difficult to achieve an air tight feeding
system so back firing into the feeding system is not uncommon. Furthermore, it is difficult to
sustain a very stable combustion process since this requires a stable position of the front end. This
type of combustion system result in high NOx emissions compared to grate fired boilers.
At Slagelse CHP a reciprocating grate was installed. Hesston bales are shredded and fed onto the
grate by stoker screws. By feeding the straw by stoker screws a more air tight feeding system can
be obtained and back firing into the feeding system is rarely observed. A grate results in a more
stable combustion and the position of the burn out zone is controlled by two IR-pyrometers where
the speed of the last grate-part is reduced, if the temperature difference between the two IRpyrometers is too low. This type of firing system is very robust and is very suitable for straw
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L. D. Fenger

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power Plants

combustion on a grate.

Figure 3 Haslev CHP

At Rudkbing CHP a vibrating grate was installed. Hesston bales are shredded and fed onto the
grate by stoker screws. This boiler is the smallest for power production and the size 2-3 times
smaller than Haslev and Slagelse. Development of the boiler and firing system in Rudkbing led to
Masned CHP.
The boiler in Grenaa is the only CFB boiler for biomass in Denmark. The plant uses mainly coal
and straw is normally co-fired. It is designed for 60% straw, but normally it is 40%, due to the risk
of bed agglomeration. The CFB boiler is unlike the grate fired boiler, very suitable for alternative
biomass with less alkali. Alternative biomass are fuels that can enter the boiler either with coal or
straw feeding system.
Mbjerg CHP uses biomass and waste. Municipal solid waste is used in 2 boilers and straw with
wood chips in a separate boiler. The boiler design is very much like Haslev CHP with cigarburners for straw combustion. Wood chips are fed into the boiler by spreader stokers.

L. D. Fenger

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power Plants

3. Second generation biomass plants

In 1996 Masned CHP was commissioned and the boiler had significant higher steam data and
with a steam temperature above 520 C there was a big risk for high temperature corrosion. The
Super heaters were designed to have a thick layer of deposits. Super heater 2 and 3 are hanging
in 1. and 2. pass and is not cleaned with soot blowers. With time the layer becomes stabile, since
the surface temperature reaches the melting temperature of the fly ash. At this point the deposit is
in a melting phase and the layer does not get thicker. Ash behaviour changes from year to year
and during the year, depending on conditions during growth and harvest. In periods the layer is
only a few centimetres thick and other times more than 10 cm. Boilers with suspended platen
super heaters and high steam data is referred to as second generation of biomass plants. This is
Masned CHP, Maribo-Sakskbing CHP plant, Ensted 3 and Avedre 2.
R&D projects indicated that austenitic steels tend to be more corrosion resistant than 12%
chromium steel. In all second generation plants TP347 is chosen as super heater material.
Plant
Start of operation
Steam temperature
Steam pressure
Electrical power
Electrical efficiency (net.)
Firing system

year
C
bar
MW net
%

Haslev CHP Rudkbing Maribo/SaksCHP

kbing CHP
1989

1990

455

450

Studstrup 3/4

Avedre 2 USC
boiler

2000 2002/2005
542

2002

540

560 (design 583)

67

60

92

250

305

2.6

11.3

350

275

41

45

23

22

29

Cigarburner

Shredder +
Stokerscrew
on vibrating
grate

Shredder +
Stokerscrew on
vibrating grate

PF boiler (Co-firing PF boiler (100%

max. 10% straw)
woodpellets max.
70 % boilerload)

Fluegas cleaning

Bagfilter

Bagfilter

Bagfilter

Boiler manufactor

Vlund

B&W Energi

FLS milj

Electrostatic
Electrostatic
filter+deNOx (2007) filter+deNOx
3
Babcock 1984
FLS milj

FLS milj is former known as B&W Energi, today the company is divided into Bioener and BWE

Table 3 Selected biomass fired power plants in Denmark.

Table 3 shows that the steam parameters for small CHPs have been raised from 450 C, and 60
bar to 542 C and 93 bar resulting in an increase in the net electric efficiency from 22% to 29% in
Maribo-Sakskbing.
Figure 4 shows a drawing of Maribo-Sakskbing. In the furnace is super heater 2. In second pass
super heater 3 and third pass super heater 1. From above in fourth pass is one section of super
heater 1, feed water economizer and below the plate air preheater. .

L. D. Fenger

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power Plants

Figure 4 Maribo-Sakskbing CHP

Avedre 2 biomass
plant is integrated with
a fossil/wood pellets
fired PF boiler.
Avedre 2 is a multi
fuel concept with a
large PF ultra super
critical (USC) boiler, 2
gas turbines and a
grate fired straw
boiler. Figure 4 shows
the multi fuel concept. The net electric efficiency is up to 50% in condensing mode.
The straw boiler produces high pressure steam at 300 bar and up to 580 C.
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L. D. Fenger

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power Plants

Avedre 2 straw fired biomass boiler with a thermal input of 105 MW. The water/steam cycle is
integrated with Avedre 2 main boiler (800 MW th) and produces steam to the same turbine having
design steam temperatures at 580 C and 300 bar. Avedre 2 biomass boiler is a once-through
boiler (Benson) equipped with hanging super heaters similar to Masned and Maribo-Sakskbing
using austenitic TP347 in the high temperature part of the super heater. The steam temperature is
reduced to 540 C, due to high corrosion rates on super heater 2. By increasing the temperature
and pressure the electric efficiency increases dramatically for Avedre 2 biomass plant compared
to the previously built biomass plants. The electrical efficiency is 41% in back pressure mode and
47% in sea water cooled condensing mode.
A new shredder concept for
Hesston bales has been
developed and the straw is fed
into the boiler by stoker
screws. Four feeding lines are
used and the straw is
combusted on a vibrating
grate. The primary combustion
air is fed through three air
boxes below each line in order
to improve the combustion
process on the grate. Different
measurering techniques have
been tested to control and
distribute air to each air box.
The latest project is working
with an Infrared-camera, that
can measure temperature of
the solid fuel layer on the
Figure 5 Avedre 2 straw fired biomass plant.

grate and in this way control air

distribution to the grate.

4. Wood chips fired and Co-fired Plants

Studstrup unit 3 and 4 are co-firing straw to coal. Unit 4 was rebuilt for straw co-firing in 2002 and
unit 3 in 2005. The 2 units are similar with an electrical output in condensing mode close to 350
MW. The firing system is designed for 20% straw on mass basis, but due to ash quality

L. D. Fenger

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power Plants

requirement for cement and concrete, the share are limited 10%. In 2007 the plants were equipped
with SCR deNOx.
Hesston bales are shredded and milled in hammer mills before it is blown to low NOx burners in the
boiler. 4 off the 24 burners are modified for straw firing.
Herningvrket is an old coal fired boiler, that was rebuild for wood chips in 2002. A grate was
installed and naturalgas burners for full load. In 2009 the gasburners are changed to wood pellets
burners and the plant will be able to use 50.000 tonnes per year wood pellets. The consumption of
wood chips is 270.000 tonnes per year. The plant is a CHP connected to a large district heating.
Steam temperatures is 525 C and steam pressure 115 bar, the electrical net. output is 89 MW el.
In Avedre unit the USC boiler is running on wood pellets and oil or natural gas. In modified coal
mills wood pellets are broken and burnt in the PF boiler. There are 3 mills installed, but room for
one more, since the boiler has 16 burners in 4 layers. The steamtemperature is 560C and steam
pressure 305 bar. The plant has, when 2 Gas Turbines and the strawfired boiler are running an
electrical efficiency close to 50% in condensing mode.

5. R&D Projects on biomass combustion

A large number of R&D projects have been carried out on biomass fired power plants. Due to the
risk of high temperature corrosion different materials have been investigated and additives have
been added in the furnace to try and change ash behaviour in order to reduce fouling on super
heater tubes.
Materials have been tested in existing super heater tubes, as parallel connected tubes and with
probes placed different at placement in the boiler. Test and experiences with more than 13 years of
operation show that TP347 and this special design of super heaters have a low rate of corrosion.
The fly ash consists mainly of potassium (K) and chlorine (Cl). Deposits in the cold part of the
boiler, in heat exchangers, bag filter, ducts, blower and chimney can form very hygroscopic
compounds that will corrode steel very fast. From probe test and experiences it is known that the
temperature of deposits must be above 90 C.
Corrosion in air preheaters and casing for electrostatic filter has caused problems with operation.
In Avedre 2 biomass plant the air preheater original design was a plate heat exchanger but due to
blocking and corrosion it was removed after a few years. Now a water circuit is transporting heat
from flue gas to combustion air. With this design it is possible to maintain a deposit temperature
above 90 C on the flue gas side.

L. D. Fenger

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power Plants

At Masned CHP the tube air preheater and flue gas cooler was exposed for heavy corrosion and
a large part of the heat exchangers was replaced.
At Maribo-Sakskbing the air preheater is a plate heat exchanger that is divided in sections and is
operated counter-current to the flue gas. The first (cold) section is enameled to avoid corrosion as
seen at Masned. However, corrosion has been severe and the air preheater was replaced after a
few years of operation. Now air is preheated up to about 75 C by water heat exhanger to avoid
corrosion and blocking in the air preheater.
On the large USC boiler in Avedre coal flyash is added to the furnance while burning wood
pellets. There are good results from probes. Coal flyash is reacting with K from wood and the
corrosionrates are low.

5. New Biomass Plants in Denmark

Vattenfall is now commissioning a new straw fired boiler in Odense at Fynsvrket with a thermal
input of 117 MW. Steam data are 110 bar and 540 C. The output will be 35 MW el and 85 MJ/s
heat. The plant is the first straw fired power plant to be equipped with flue gas wet absorption
system. This will increase the heat output by app. 10%. The boiler will be delivered by Bioener,
former known as FLS milj.
In Copenhagen Vattenfall is also commissioning a new coal and straw fired boiler for replacement
of Amager 1. The new boiler at Amager 1 is constructed by BWE and the thermal input is 350
MJ/s.
It is a multi fuel boiler, that can use coal, oil, straw and wood pellets. Due to the lower heating
value of straw pellets the maximum boilerload is 90%, corresponding to 76 tonnes straw per hour.
The expected use of straw pellets is 110.000 tonnes per year.
Avedre unit 1 will in a few years be modified for wood pellets. The boiler is designed for coal and
commissioned in 1990. Steam data are 250 bar and 545 C. Electrical output is 250 MW el. The unit
1 will be able to burn up to 600.000 tonnes per year.

6. Summary
DONG Energy has been operating biomass fired power plants for more than 20 years. The
concept for small-scale CHP as Masned and Maribo-Sakskbing is well developed. The plants
are operated with high steamdata with no corrosion problems. All CHP are only manned from 7:00
to 15:00 during the week. In weekends the plants are visited once a day or if there is a problem.

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L. D. Fenger

Danish Experiences with Biomass in Small and Large Power Plants

When the plants are unmanned they are controlled by central power station, Kyndbyvrket. The
CHP plants are very reliable, problems still occur and are often related to the fuel handling system,
which runs automatically. Bales are placed manually in the storage in the small CHP plants.
Experiences with larger boilers like Ensted 3 and Avedre 2 are also positive and this size of grate
fired boiler are considered suitable. It is clear that flue gas temperature in the boiler rise when the
furnace gets bigger, therefore larger boilers will probably have corrosion and fouling problems.

7. References

Erik Gjernes, Hans Henrik Poulsen, Nicholas Kristensen (2007), Large Scale Utilisation of Biomass
in Fossil Fired Boilers, Power-Gen Europe, 2007, Madrid, Spain

Jrgen P. Jensen, Lars D. Fenger, Carsten Hbbe (2002), 13 years operating experience WITH
BIOMASS fired CHP plants, 12th European Conference & Technology Exhibition on Biomass for
Energy, Industry and Climate Protection, 19 June 2002 - Amsterdam, Netherlands

www.bioener.dk

Energistyrelsen, Milj og Energiministeriet, 1999, The Danish Follow-up Programme for smallscale Solid Biomass CHP Plants, Status Report 1999.

www.volund.dk

www.danbio.info

The Centre for Biomass Technology, Straw for Energy Production, 1998

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