Hamburg, Germany – 12 March 2013 - Siemens Energy has opened two major Research & Development test facilities for wind turbine technology in Denmark. The new test center in Brande features test stands for major components of Siemens wind turbines, including generators, main bearings and complete nacelles. In Aalborg, seven blade test stands are capable to perform full scale tests of rotor blades, including the world's largest blade in operation with a length of 75 meters. In combination, the two facilities form the world's largest R&D test center for wind turbine technology. 

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From shipping, fishing and boatbuilding to marine engineering, renewables and water-sports, Cornwall’s coastline continues to be at the heart of its economy – and offers investors a major opportunity. 

The Scottish Government has launched a smart grid strategy to capitalise on its expertise in this technology and to support the country’s transition to become a low carbon economy. The strategy plans to create 12,000 new jobs in this sector by 2020 by encouraging smart grid adoption and developing Scotland as a leading international provider of smart grid technologies and expertise.

Renewable energy company 2-B Energy has joined forces with Scottish Enterprise (SE) to deliver cutting-edge offshore wind technology with the potential to reduce costs by up to 45 percent.The organisations will work together to support commercialisation of 2-B’s unique two-bladed offshore turbine concept through development of offshore test and demonstration facilities in Scotland – potentially by the end of 2014. 

Spanish renewables manufacturing giant Gamesa has announced its new UK plant is to be sited at the Port of Leith. Around 800 new jobs will be created at the Edinburgh plant, with investment of up to 150 million euro. First Minister Alex Salmond has described the news as a “welcome boost”, bringing hundreds of quality jobs to Scotland’s capital.

Spanish renewables manufacturing giant Gamesa has announced its new UK plant is to be sited at the Port of Leith. Around 800 new jobs will be created at the Edinburgh plant, with investment of up to 150 million euro. First Minister Alex Salmond has described the news as a “welcome boost”, bringing hundreds of quality jobs to Scotland’s capital.

Biochar could replace up to half of the coal currently by cogeneration plants in Finland according to a report sourced from Kauppalehti.fi. Finland’s first biochar pellet factory is being planned in Ristiina, eastern Finland. The factory will cost an estimated EUR 30-40 million and will produce 200,000 tons of biochar pellets annually, which could be used to replace coal in heat and power cogeneration plants.

Biochar could replace up to half of the coal currently by cogeneration plants in Finland according to a report sourced from Kauppalehti.fi. Finland’s first biochar pellet factory is being planned in Ristiina, eastern Finland. The factory will cost an estimated EUR 30-40 million and will produce 200,000 tons of biochar pellets annually, which could be used to replace coal in heat and power cogeneration plants.

Monday, 09 January 2012 11:22

Finland is taking a lead in renewable energy generation through innovation and smart recycling as demonstrated by three initiatives we highlight below.

Stora Enso to build innovative lignin extraction plant in Finland

LignoBoost system increases pulp mill capacity and replaces fossil fuels in lime kilns.

Finland’s Ministry of Employment and the Economy has granted energy support worth EUR 4 million for a plant demonstrating the innovative LignoBoost lignin extraction system at Stora's Sunila pulp mill located in Kotka, southern Finland. Lignin can be used to replace fossil fuels in lime kilns and increase pulp mill capacity more cost-efficiently than traditional technology. The new plant would be largest of its kind in Europe.

Lignin, a component of wood, will be extracted from pulp mill black liquor using the LignoBoost system patented by the Finnish company Metso, after which it is dried, enabling pulverized combustion. The dried lignin could replace 90% of the natural gas currently used as an energy source by Sunila mill’s lime kiln, representing 172,000 MWh per year. This would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 33,000 tons per year.

According to Metso, when a recovery boiler is the limiting factor to increasing pulping capacity, LignoBoost is a good solution to the problem. If 25% of the lignin in the black liquor is removed, boiler capacity can be increased to enable 20-25% more pulp production. Metso believes that as the technology becomes commercialized, LignoBoost could be sold to many factories worldwide. One plant has already been sold to the United States.

 

New forest chips and biogas plants to open in western Finland

New eco-efficient plants in Raahe and Kokkola will help produce electricity from forest chips and sludge.

Finland's Ministry of Employment and the Economy has given an energy support grant of EUR 3.98 million to Sievin Biohake Oy for the construction of a large-scale forest chips drying plant in Raahe, western Finland. The plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

The plant will dry forest chips by using 10-20 MW of excess heat from Rautaruukki's factories in Raahe. The investment includes reception facilities and equipment for the raw material, chipping and crushing equipment, the drying plant, and storage for the dried chips. According to the ministry, Raahe's forest chip project could be a model for other areas with heavy industries that produce excess heat and which have substantial local forest resources.

The plant will produce about 200,000 solid cubic metres of chips annually which represents 400 GWh of energy. The plant will reduce the water content of the chips from about 50% to 20%. The raw material will be procured from local sources. There are several advantages to drying the forest chips. Dried chips can be stored for longer periods, they produce more energy, and can also be used to improve lower quality fuels.

The Ministry of Employment and the Economy is also giving an energy support grant of EUR 1.92 million to Pohjanmaan Biokaasu – Österbottens Biogas Oy for the construction of a biogas plant in Kokkola, western Finland. The plant will be located in the immediate vicinity of the wastewater treatment plant of Kokkola's Ykspihlaja port and industrial area.

The plant will produce 1.2 million cubic metres of biogas annually by processing wastewater treatment sludge, raw sludge and septic tank sludge, as well as biosludge from region's potato and animal feed producers.  The gas can be used to produce about 2800 MWh of electricity and about 3000 MWh of heat per year.  The plant is expected to be in commercial use by October 2012.

 

Innovative district heating plant to be constructed in Tampere, Finland

Pressurized combustion of pulverized pellets will make the plant more adjustable.

A new 25MW district heating plant using wood pellets as fuel will be constructed in the city of Tampere in central Finland.  Finland's Ministry of Employment and the Economy has granted energy support worth EUR 1.42 million to Tampereen Energiantuotanto Oy for the construction of the plant. The new plant will cost EUR 8.2 million in total.

The project utilises different technologies in a new way. The pellets are pulverized with separate grinding machines which enables pressurized combustion and significantly improves the adjustability of the equipment in terms of speed and range compared to the commonly used furnace bed, fluidized bed combustion and circulating fluidized bed technology. Tampereen Energiatuontanto's objective is to create a working district heating plant concept for plants in the 20 - 40 MW range.

The new plant  will reduce the use of oil and natural gas, and cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 6700 tons annually.

Finland is taking a lead in renewable energy generation through innovation and smart recycling as demonstrated by three initiatives we highlight below.

Stora Enso to build innovative lignin extraction plant in Finland

LignoBoost system increases pulp mill capacity and replaces fossil fuels in lime kilns.

Finland’s Ministry of Employment and the Economy has granted energy support worth EUR 4 million for a plant demonstrating the innovative LignoBoost lignin extraction system at Stora's Sunila pulp mill located in Kotka, southern Finland. Lignin can be used to replace fossil fuels in lime kilns and increase pulp mill capacity more cost-efficiently than traditional technology. The new plant would be largest of its kind in Europe.

Lignin, a component of wood, will be extracted from pulp mill black liquor using the LignoBoost system patented by the Finnish company Metso, after which it is dried, enabling pulverized combustion. The dried lignin could replace 90% of the natural gas currently used as an energy source by Sunila mill’s lime kiln, representing 172,000 MWh per year. This would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 33,000 tons per year.

According to Metso, when a recovery boiler is the limiting factor to increasing pulping capacity, LignoBoost is a good solution to the problem. If 25% of the lignin in the black liquor is removed, boiler capacity can be increased to enable 20-25% more pulp production. Metso believes that as the technology becomes commercialized, LignoBoost could be sold to many factories worldwide. One plant has already been sold to the United States.

 

New forest chips and biogas plants to open in western Finland

New eco-efficient plants in Raahe and Kokkola will help produce electricity from forest chips and sludge.

Finland's Ministry of Employment and the Economy has given an energy support grant of EUR 3.98 million to Sievin Biohake Oy for the construction of a large-scale forest chips drying plant in Raahe, western Finland. The plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

The plant will dry forest chips by using 10-20 MW of excess heat from Rautaruukki's factories in Raahe. The investment includes reception facilities and equipment for the raw material, chipping and crushing equipment, the drying plant, and storage for the dried chips. According to the ministry, Raahe's forest chip project could be a model for other areas with heavy industries that produce excess heat and which have substantial local forest resources.

The plant will produce about 200,000 solid cubic metres of chips annually which represents 400 GWh of energy. The plant will reduce the water content of the chips from about 50% to 20%. The raw material will be procured from local sources. There are several advantages to drying the forest chips. Dried chips can be stored for longer periods, they produce more energy, and can also be used to improve lower quality fuels.

The Ministry of Employment and the Economy is also giving an energy support grant of EUR 1.92 million to Pohjanmaan Biokaasu – Österbottens Biogas Oy for the construction of a biogas plant in Kokkola, western Finland. The plant will be located in the immediate vicinity of the wastewater treatment plant of Kokkola's Ykspihlaja port and industrial area.

The plant will produce 1.2 million cubic metres of biogas annually by processing wastewater treatment sludge, raw sludge and septic tank sludge, as well as biosludge from region's potato and animal feed producers.  The gas can be used to produce about 2800 MWh of electricity and about 3000 MWh of heat per year.  The plant is expected to be in commercial use by October 2012.

 

Innovative district heating plant to be constructed in Tampere, Finland

Pressurized combustion of pulverized pellets will make the plant more adjustable.

A new 25MW district heating plant using wood pellets as fuel will be constructed in the city of Tampere in central Finland.  Finland's Ministry of Employment and the Economy has granted energy support worth EUR 1.42 million to Tampereen Energiantuotanto Oy for the construction of the plant. The new plant will cost EUR 8.2 million in total.

The project utilises different technologies in a new way. The pellets are pulverized with separate grinding machines which enables pressurized combustion and significantly improves the adjustability of the equipment in terms of speed and range compared to the commonly used furnace bed, fluidized bed combustion and circulating fluidized bed technology. Tampereen Energiatuontanto's objective is to create a working district heating plant concept for plants in the 20 - 40 MW range.

The new plant  will reduce the use of oil and natural gas, and cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 6700 tons annually.

A £50m investment by Belfast Harbour to develop a new terminal for the assembly of offshore wind turbines is providing a major boost for the Northern Ireland construction and aggregate sectors.  The project, the largest ever in the Harbour’s 400-year history, will create 150 construction jobs and generate demand for one million tonnes of stone from local quarries.

It was confirmed today that Northern Ireland-based Farrans (Construction) Ltd has won the contract to deliver the new terminal. The 50-acre facility will initially support the construction of the West of Duddon Sands offshore wind farm – a 50/50 joint venture between DONG Energy and ScottishPower Renewables. The facility will then be utilised by DONG Energy for its future Irish Sea operations.

The University of Exter is to be part of pioneering research into the exploitation of a previously untapped underground energy source. Government funding totalling £6 million has been announced for a project to develop the UK’s first commercial-scale geothermal power plant. The successful bid includes the British firm Geothermal Engineering Ltd setting up a research centre with the University of Exeter Sustainability Institute, which specialises in engineering, mathematics and physical sciences.

Scotland’s world-leading renewables energy sector continues to attract international investment – the most recent from Alstom, the French global power generation, transmission and rail transportation company. The company is investing in the Inverness-based AWS Ocean Energy Ltd, the developer of the AWS-III wave power device, by taking a 40 percent stake in the company.

Scotland’s world-leading renewables energy sector continues to attract international investment – the most recent from Alstom, the French global power generation, transmission and rail transportation company. The company is investing in the Inverness-based AWS Ocean Energy Ltd, the developer of the AWS-III wave power device, by taking a 40 percent stake in the company.

Technip, specialists in project management, construction and engineering for the energy industry, have celebrated the official launch of their offshore wind business. The company's offshore wind headquarters on the outskirts of Aberdeen will be home to a centre of engineering excellence offering support to projects across the UK and Europe.

Technip, specialists in project management, construction and engineering for the energy industry, have celebrated the official launch of their offshore wind business. The company's offshore wind headquarters on the outskirts of Aberdeen will be home to a centre of engineering excellence offering support to projects across the UK and Europe.

General Electric will open a multidisciplinary Research &Development centre in Israel, its eighth R&D centre in the country, at an investment of $3-5 million. The centre, which will be located in Haifa, will engage in research in water technologies, renewable energy and medical devices.

General Electric will open a multidisciplinary Research & Development centre in Israel, its eighth R&D centre in the country, at an investment of $3-5 million. The centre, which will be located in Haifa, will engage in research in water technologies, renewable energy and medical devices.

An action plan to drive forward Scotland's renewables revolution, and to meet this Government's world-leading green energy targets, was launched today by Energy Minister Fergus Ewing. The Renewables Routemap outlines the necessary steps needed to capitalise on the enormous economic potential of Scotland's green energy capacity and to meet ambitious targets, including supplying 100 percent of electricity demand equivalent from renewables by 2020.

Japanese manufacturing giant Mitsubishi has announced plans to invest up to £100 million in Scotland to develop renewable energy research and technologies.