Good Practice: Implementation of Biomass-coal Co-firing System in Hodonin, EHO CEZ, Czech Republic

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Setting

SETatWork Contact: Peter Luby, ECB, Slovakia
Partner Organisation: Elektrarna Hodonin, CEZ, ("EHO") CEZ a.s.
Date of identification: December 2008

Country: Czech Republic
Location: Hodonin
Project start date: January 2006
Project end date: December 2008
Technology keywords: Advanced technologies, High temperature technologies, Agricultural waste, Coal combustion, Forestry and energy crops
Host sector: Power generation
Ref: SETatWork Good Practice #8

Objective of the Project

Partial replacement of brown coal fuel combustion with carbon-neutral fuel like wood chips.

Technical Summary

The said Project is intended to be presented as one having considerable contribution to Energy Efficiency benefit because thermal efficiency of this arrangement has been increase compare to previous state.

In years 2006 - 2008, biomass as a secondary fuel has been introduced in the power plant EHO CEZ in the city of Hodonin, East Czech Republic. For this purpose two lignite-fired Circulating Fluid Bed (CFB) boilers K01 and K02, were subsequently retrofitted with new cofiring systems adopted to simultaneous burning of mix of coal with wood chips. EHO has become the biggest producer of electric power from biomass in the Czech Republic. The new system can even operate on pure biomass which is rarity in this range of capacity per unit.

Compliance with stringent emission standards was fulfilled. Process economy and reliability were improved dramatically as well.

Project history

Fuel switch from lignite to biomass started in EHO in 2004. Since that time share of biomass fuel has been permanently increasing up to current state when 149 GWh of green electricity was generated last year. This corresponds to 136 kt/a of burned biomass, which is equivalent of 200 t/a of lignite being substituted with environmentally neutral fuel. At the same time dramatic reduction of SO₂ emissions has been achieved and reduction of desulfurization costs (consumption of lime) as well.

Latest technology improvement carried out in 2007 of boiler FK2 led to capability of this boiler to burn pure biomass. Fired with pure biomass this boiler is able to operate on 75% of its nominal capacity.

The switch of the lignite fuel for biomass required the change of combustion devices like main and stabilizing burners and pressure parts of the boiler. The combustion devices were supplemented with a band grate enabling combustion of wood chips.

Project benefits

Major project incentives were environmental but also economy reasons related to concentrations of SO₂ in flue gases as well as reduction of CO₂. Project economy was evaluated to 17 MEUR as Net Present Value. Total amount of more than one million ton of CO₂ is supposed to be reduced within the 2008-2012 period.

See the Good Practice Case Study PDF file for further information

Environmental and Social Benefits

(Estimate of) Greenhouse Gases abated (in metric tons of CO₂-equivalent):

Year	tCO2
2004	63,000
2005	85,000
2006	109,000
2007	145,000
2008	185,000
2009	273,000
2010 (outlook)	372,000
2011 (outlook)	372,000
2012 (outlook)	372,000
2008-2012	1,574,000

Number of reduction units: Outlook for trading period 2008-2012 is 1,6 Mil. tCO₂ total

Socio-economic aspects: This Project will make possible replacement of equivalent power being generated from brown coal from East Bohemia. Major project incentives were environmental but also economy reasons related to concentrations of SO₂ in flue gases as well as reduction of CO₂. Project economy was evaluated to 17 MEUR as Net Present Value. Total amount of more than one and half million ton of CO₂ is supposed to be reduced within the 2008-2012 period. Support of growing turnover in forest industry with equivalent growth in jobs by approximately 50 jobs.

Methodology used: Approved baseline methodology

Economic Data

Capital Costs: 10 MEUR
Financing scheme Soft loan from domestic banks

To find similar reports, click on a keyword below:
SETatWork: Sustainable Energy Technology at Work (2008-2010) : Biomass and Bioenergy : Co-firing : Coal Combustion : Combined Heat and Power : Combustion Technology : EU ETS : Energy Efficient Technologies : Forestry and Energy Crops : Fuel Switching : Heat Generation, Recovery and Use : Industrial Combined Heat and Power : Information and Communications Technologies : Power Generation and Use : Wastes and Residues

CEZ, a. s.

Elektrarna Hodonin, CEZ, (EHO) CEZ a.s.

Skoda Praha Invest sro

ECB - Energy Centre Bratislava