Pyrolysis Experience in

Finnish CHP & Heat

Plants
WBA pyrolysis webinar
Joakim Autio
Valmet Technologies
Long-term R&D co-operation with partners
produces results – Pyrolysis as an example
2007
Technology 2010
development 2013 -
1980’s consortium formed Pyrolysis oil R&D projects on
(Valmet, UPM, VTT) combustion tests pyrolysis oil
First Finnish R&D June 30, 2015
laboratory studies on Cold model tests for upgrading Joensuu plant
Start of concept on-going
pyrolysis (VTT) oil production start at handed over to
planning for a Fortum
Valmet R&D Center in commercial demo
Tampere plant

2013
2009 Commissioning and
1990’s Fortum joins
commercial operation
of Joensuu plant
First R&D projects development 2012
including Finnish consortium
Fortum and Valmet
companies
sign contract on
Bio-oil pilot tests at
Joensuu plant
Valmet R&D Center
starts

2 © Valmet | Joakim Autio

Integrated pyrolysis demonstration plant
Fortum, Joensuu, Finland, 2013
30 MWoil, 50 000 t/a bio-oil

Bio-oil
Pyrolyzer recovery
in boiler
building

Bio-oil
Feedstock storage
drying and tanks
crushing

3 © Valmet | Joakim Autio

Bio-oil production integrated to a CHP-boiler
Joensuu bio-oil production plant

 Plant completed late 2013 as scheduled

 Full bio-oil production capacity is reached
during 2014
 Pyrolysis operation has been in accordance
with earlier pilot experiences
 Oil quality according to specifications
 CHP operation has been reliable
– Char combustion complete
– Bed material circulation undisturbed
 Some scale related issues noted and
corrective measures taken
 Plant handed over to Fortum in June 2015
 Co-operation continues with research and Fortum Otso
®

development

4 © Valmet | Joakim Autio

 Bio-oil has been applied in wide capacity range

 Fortum, Joensuu (Finland)

– 6 MWth load burner in BFB
– 10 MWth single burner in firetube heat
boiler
 Savon Voima, Iisalmi (Finland)
– 10 MWth
– Load burner in a BFB
 Fortum, Vermo (Finland)
– 50 MWth
– Single roofburner in heat boiler
 E.ON, Karlshamn (Sweden)
– Trial firing at a 330 MWel HFO plant
– 174 MWth bio-oil
– Bio-oil transported across the Baltic Sea in
conventional chemical carriers

E.On Karlshamn power plant, courtesy of E.On

5 © Valmet | Joakim Autio

Heat generation with bio-oil in Espoo, Finland
 Fortum’s Vermo heat plant was modernized
to use bio-oil from their Joensuu plant
– Bio-oil replaced HFO
– Peak-load heat plant
 1 out of 4 boilers modified 2013-2014
– Natural gas as main fuel
 Boiler equipped with single 50 MW
roofburner, ESP
– Oil storage & handling modified to handle bio-oil
 Truck unloading
 Tanks modified and agitation added
 Bio-oil pumping renewed
 Viscosity control with preheating
– Existing Fortum Low-NOx burner was modified
to use bio-oil and/or natural gas
 Air distribution and nozzle selection
 Flame detection modified
 Increased ignition capacity
6 © Valmet | Joakim Autio
 Operating experience and emission
measurement results on bio-oil
• Operating normally as a peak load boiler
• Stable flame and reliable ignition
– 100 % bio-oil load, no support fuel required

• Targeted emission levels reached:

– NOx 300-350 mg/m3*
– CO <10 mg/m3*
– SO2 16-21 mg/m3*
– O2 3,3-3,4 %
– Particulates 2-3 mg/m3*
*Emissions normalized to 3% O2
Emission measurements done at 41-45 MWth
boiler load

7 © Valmet | Joakim Autio

Thank you!

© Valmet | Joakim Autio