Denmark’s largest power plant converts to biomass

The last combined-heat-and-power (CHP) unit at Avedøre power plant in Denmark is to be converted, and will generate power instead of coal and gas from 2016.

The conversion, which is financed by DONG Energy and VEKS, will be initiated in April this year and is expected to be completed during the autumn of 2016. With this conversion, the coal-fired unit 1 will also be able to use wood pellets and in future, wood pellets will be used as primary fuel for heat generation.

When Unit 1 is converted, the heat provided will supply an additional 65,000 households in the Greater Copenhagen area, to around 215,000 households in total.

Thomas Dalsgaard, executive vice president at DONG Energy, said, “The decision to convert unit 1 at Avedøre Power Station means that we’ll now be in a position to abandon coal and gas entirely when we’re generating heat in the Greater Copenhagen area. It’s a significant step in the green conversion, taken in a cost-effective way.”

VEKS and DONG Energy have just signed a new agreement which means that from 2016 until 2033, unit 1 at Avedøre Power Station will be able to supply green heat to VEKS’ customers. The agreement forms the basis of the investment in converting and prolonging the lifetime of the CHP unit and is a significant contribution to the Danish capital’s ambition of being CO2 neutral in 2025.

Source: COSPP