Alstom takes part in breaking the ground at Mälarenergi

On 19 June, Mälarenergi’s construction of a new combined heat and power plant, unit 6, was inaugurated. Alstom took part in the ground-breaking ceremony as the supplier of complete system for flue gas cleaning.

On Tuesday, 19 June, the ground-breaking ceremony took place at Mälarenergi’s new unit for combined heat and power in Västerås, a somewhat different inauguration where several stakeholders and key suppliers participated. Alstom were one of the sod-cutters as the supplier of the flue gas cleaning system to the new unit.

In this particular delivery, Alstom will install a flue gas cleaning system that consists of the Alstom NID™ semi-dry cleaning method, that cleans the flue gas by injecting limestone and active coal. Alstom’s advanced flue gas cleaning system will reduce emissions far below the EU regulations.

The NID™ system is complemented by a scrubber and a flue gas condensation unit that will further clean the flue gas as well as return the recovered energy to the district heating system in Västerås. The remaining condensation water that will be released into the lake Mälaren will also be treated in a separate water cleaning process, which will secure that the excessive water released from the plant is clean and non-infectious for the environment.

The new combustion unit will enable Mälarenergi to become more flexible with regard to its choice of fuel. The new unit also reduces the need for fossil fuels such as coal and peat. By investing in a new combined heat and power plant Mälarenergi will be able to reduce fossil CO2 emissions by approximately 300 000 tonnes/annum.

“It is very positive that we now may start the construction of the new unit at Västerås heat and power plant. It is the single largest investment ever made by Mälarenergi as well as for the owner, the city of Västerås", said Ulla Persson, chairman of the board.

"Personally, I am glad that this new unit will reduce the environmental impact by heavily lowering fossil CO2 emissions. That is a good thing for the city of Västerås, the region and for the world", said Ulla Persson.

The new unit has been designed to use waste as primary fuel, and it will be one of the largest units of its kind in the world. The total investment will be approximately 2,85 billion SEK. The plant will be in full operation by the second half of 2014.