Hedemora Energi invests in new CHP plant

Bilden visar ett layoutförslag för hur ett nytt kraftvärmeverk skulle kunna se ut. Illustration från Hedemora Energi.

Hedemora Energi is studying the possibility of building a new CHP plant. FVB undertook the feasibility study and is now responsible for compiling more detailed data for the plant.

Hedemora Energi has 1,100 district heating customers in the municipalities of Hedemora and Säter. Production takes place at several different plants, all using biofuels. The biggest is the CHP plant, completed in 1992, and now in need of renovation to meet future environmental requirements.

FVB looked at the possibility of refurbishing the existing plant in the feasibility study, but also considered other alternatives. Hedemora Energi opted to go with the solution of a joint CHP for Hedemora and Säter, which will involve building a new district heating pipe to connect the two towns. Customers will also have to be connected along the new pipe in Vikmanshyttan, allowing the company to decommission the hot water boiler located there.

Facts

The planned location of the CHP plant is in the southern part of Hedemora. The plant will have thermal output of 35 MW and electricity output of 9 MW. 

The investment decision is scheduled to be taken in autumn/winter 2025/2026.

Best for the environment and the budget

“Given the various alternatives FVB looked at, the best option financially and for the environment was investing in a new joint CHP plant. There were also economies of scale involved,” states Peter Fant, District Heating Manager at Hedemora Energi.

The energy company has contracted the necessary skills and resources for pre-project design work, development of a procurement framework and the procurement management of a new CHP plant. FVB is responsible for compiling the tender documentation for the process elements of the boiler, turbine and external fuel handling. Compiling the tender documentation for the building and groundworks are included, which has been contracted to Kadesjös Ingenjörsbyrå. 

“This is demanding work and we have been working intensively with it for just under a year. We've been focusing hard on involving Hedemora Energi’s personnel in defining the requirements, which we regard as a major factor for success. We expect to be able to send out the tender documentation in early March next year,” says Fredrik Nilsson, Project Manager at FVB.

FVB has also worked on localisation of the plant, and the site deemed to be the best is in southern Hedemora. A large fuel storage area is also planned here.

“We have thought a lot about which fuels to use and which fuels will still be sustainable in 10, 20 and 30 years. Our theme has been flexibility with regard to fuel and we settled primarily on a mix of scrap wood and bark, but we can also burn other biofuels. A large storage area also lets us be flexible,” concludes Fant.

A lot of expertise needed

“The help we get from FVB is invaluable, as we do not have the same skills or resources ourselves. We build a new plant every 40 years, which means it was important for us to find a company used to working with such processes. When we contracted out this service, I set high standards for expertise and quality. FVB has delivered solid, quality work and we are satisfied,” he adds.   

Hedemora Energi is going a little against the flow in opting for combined heat and power, as few energy companies are investing in new CHP plants at this time. 

“We looked at various alternatives and concluded that building a CHP plant would be no more costly than building a hot water boiler alone. And we believe in the green transition, even though it looks a bit doubtful right now, as there are strong indicators for increased electricity use moving forwards, meaning that CHP will be a key resource,” concludes Fant.

For more details, contact:
Fredrik Nilsson, +46 (0)21 81 80 44


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