13 - Brent Boyko - OPG - 2013 WPAC PDF

Atikokan Generating Station
Biomass Conversion Project Update

WPAC November 19, 2013
Brent Boyko
Director Biomass Business Development
Official Launch – Oct. 10, 2012
2 A G S B i o m a s s C o n v e r s i o n P r o j e c t
 Atikokan Generating Station (GS) is one
of two plants in OPG’s Northwest
Thermal operations.
 Located about 200 km west of Thunder

Bay, Ontario.
 Built in 1985, the Station has one

generating unit with the capacity to
produce just over 200 MW of electricity.
 At the mid point of a major biomass (wood pellets) conversion project.
 Extensive community and Aboriginal stakeholder outreach.
 Expected to be in service in mid 2014.

Biomass Conversion Project - Facts
 New fuel handling and

storage system to ensure Atikokan Generating Station
safety.
 Modifications to furnace
and new Distributed
Controls System.
 10,000 tonnes of wood

pellets storage - two
5,000 tonnes silos.
 New truck receiving and

transfer house.
Construction Design Strategy
 Receiving strategy: truck only.
 Storage: Silos (bulk) and Modified Bunkers (surge).
 Fuel Processing.
 Primary Air Cooler.
 Burner Replacement.
 Modification of Ash Handling.
Receiving Strategy
 Truck delivery of pellets - 200 km radius.
 10 trucks/day, 35 tonne/truck, 5 days/week,

self-unloading.
 One unloader system on

to belt feeding storage.
 15 minutes unload time.
 Rejection capabilities.
 Capable of direct feed

from truck unloading
bypassing silos.
Safety By Design
Dust Control
Explosion Panels
Spiral Chute
Belt Conveyor
from Silos Silo Discharge
Storage
 Spiral chute reduces fuel drop.
 Gravity feed to unloading system (hopper bottom).
 Multi-level and location temperature monitoring and trending

of the storage silos.
 Aeration capability on the silos.
 Inert gas injection capability on the silos.
 Recycling/recirculation capabilities to cool pellets and reuse.
 Explosion panels.
Storage … continued
Fuel Processing
 Replace existing in-plant bunkers (750 tonnes capacity each) with
surge bins (45 tonnes each) to reduce the quantity of in-plant fuel.
 Ports on the surge bins to allow for injection of fire fighting media.
 Isolation valves above and below the mills to prevent migration of

any event.
 Modified Pulverizers to increase velocity and reduce classification.
 MPS 75 mills conducive to pellet grinding.
 Modifications proposed by Hitachi are field-tested (AmerCentrale –

Netherlands).
 AmerCentrale – 75% Biomass since 2011.
Fuel Processing … continued
 Classifier Full Open:

– Pellets break into constituent particles on first pass.
– Mill testing and field experience shows that no
classification is required.
 Grinding Roller Track:

– No modifications
required.
– Grinding is not expected
to result in any
significant particle size
reduction.
 Nozzle Ring:
– Install 2 remaining rotating throats (3 mills already converted).
– Test trials at Atikokan showed lower mill pressure differential

on mills equipped with rotating throats (efficiency).
– Optimises the primary air conduction (air distribution between

the operating mills).
• Explosion Suppression:
– On the surge bins and mills.
– Dry chemical suppression system.
– Fully Automated.
– Installed on the mill and Pulverized Fuel Lines.

Primary Air Cooler
 Include PA Cooler to temper the PA to required temperature and

avoid pre-ignition of fuel.
 Main difference is low moisture content of wood versus coal.
 Reduces heat losses

and avoids back-end
expansion problems.
 Improved efficiency
via heat transfer to
feedwater system.
Burner Replacement
 New Doosan modified Mark III burners
being installed.
 Based on operating experience of

Mark III burners used in European
Biomass conversions.
 Full use of existing Gas Recirculation

Fan to achieve steam temperatures.
 Includes new Class I igniters and

flame scanners.
 No changes to boiler openings.
Modification of Ash Handling
 New Drag-Chain conveyors to replace pneumatic conveying

system (fire prevention).
 Aggressive rapping strategy.
 Continuous evacuation of collection hoppers.
 Eliminate air in-leakage to reduce O2 (fire prevention).
Health & Safety
VISION: Sustained Excellence in Health and Safety
 Conducted a third-party industrial hygiene study that

assessed hazards associated with handling wood dusts.
 Developing new housekeeping standard.
 Benchmarking industry best practices around wood pellet

inventory management and silo fire prevention and
management.
 Use of safe job planning tools and site Passport to Safety.
 Management field visibility. Conduct regular field visits.
Health & Safety … continued
 Fire and Explosion Risk
• Regular cleaning of horizontal surfaces and conveyor systems

to prevent the accumulation of settled dust.
• Monitor temperature in storage to take appropriate action if
self-heating or auto ignition.
• Protect wood pellets from sources of heat and flame.
• Hot work permits with fire safety/suppression measures
required for all hot work.
 Worker Exposure Risk
• Maintain exposures below occupational limits (dust and off-

gassing products).
• Personal and area air monitoring to determine exposure
profiles and confirm adequacy of control methods.
Atikokan GS Biomass Project
July 2012
Truck Receiving & Transfer Tower
Oct. / Nov. 2012
Project coming together – Dec. 2012
Mar. 2013
Transfer Tower & Silos – Apr. 2013
Silos – May 2013
Silos – May 2013
One of 15 new burners
Surge Bin Modifications
27 P r e s e n t a t i o n T i t l e
Controls Console Demolition /
Replacement
June 2013
August 2013
August 2013
Conveyor Gallery Lift in Progress -
August 2013
August 2013
Dust Suppression / Vacuum System –
Sept. 2013
Controls /Control Room
Commissioning Kick Off
Inside the Silo
Material Handling
 Silo bin bottom (51,000
cinder blocks)
 Installed West Silo Stair
Tower
 Electrical / mechanical
continues on transfer tower
Fuel & Combustion
 PA Cooler & Burners
Installed
 ash conveyors in place,
ready for “long drop chute”
 Electrical work underway
 Pulverizer mods completed
Controls Installation
 Installation tasks continued
 Final 1st Fire terminations
36
underway
A G S B i o m a s s C o n v e r s i o n P r o j e c t
Silo Cone
Burners Installed
First Fire - October 2013
Thank You!
Questions
Brent Boyko
Director of Business Development
807-597-3522
Brent.boyko@opg.com

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Atikokan Generating Station

Biomass Conversion Project Update

 Located about 200 km west of Thunder

 Built in 1985, the Station has one

 At the mid point of a major biomass (wood pellets) conversion project.

 Extensive community and Aboriginal stakeholder outreach.

 Expected to be in service in mid 2014.

 New fuel handling and

 10,000 tonnes of wood

 New truck receiving and

 Receiving strategy: truck only.

 Storage: Silos (bulk) and Modified Bunkers (surge).

 Primary Air Cooler.

 Modification of Ash Handling.

 Truck delivery of pellets - 200 km radius.

 10 trucks/day, 35 tonne/truck, 5 days/week,

 One unloader system on

 15 minutes unload time.

 Capable of direct feed

 Spiral chute reduces fuel drop.

 Gravity feed to unloading system (hopper bottom).

 Multi-level and location temperature monitoring and trending

 Aeration capability on the silos.

 Inert gas injection capability on the silos.

 Recycling/recirculation capabilities to cool pellets and reuse.

 Isolation valves above and below the mills to prevent migration of

 Modified Pulverizers to increase velocity and reduce classification.

 MPS 75 mills conducive to pellet grinding.

 Modifications proposed by Hitachi are field-tested (AmerCentrale –

 AmerCentrale – 75% Biomass since 2011.

 Classifier Full Open:

 Grinding Roller Track:

– Test trials at Atikokan showed lower mill pressure differential

– Optimises the primary air conduction (air distribution between

– Dry chemical suppression system.

– Installed on the mill and Pulverized Fuel Lines.

 Include PA Cooler to temper the PA to required temperature and

 Main difference is low moisture content of wood versus coal.

 Reduces heat losses

 Based on operating experience of

 Full use of existing Gas Recirculation

 Includes new Class I igniters and

 No changes to boiler openings.

 New Drag-Chain conveyors to replace pneumatic conveying

 Aggressive rapping strategy.

 Continuous evacuation of collection hoppers.

 Eliminate air in-leakage to reduce O2 (fire prevention).

VISION: Sustained Excellence in Health and Safety

 Conducted a third-party industrial hygiene study that

 Developing new housekeeping standard.

 Benchmarking industry best practices around wood pellet

 Use of safe job planning tools and site Passport to Safety.

 Management field visibility. Conduct regular field visits.

 Fire and Explosion Risk

• Regular cleaning of horizontal surfaces and conveyor systems

 Worker Exposure Risk

• Maintain exposures below occupational limits (dust and off-

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