Orsted launches wood-fuelled CHP plant

Orsted, formerly known as Dong Energy, has launched its new combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Fredericia, Denmark.

The new facility, called the Skærbæk Power Station, will use wood chips as fuel to generate district heating and electricity.

It was inaugurated by HRH the Crown Princess of Denmark on 25 October, 2017. The power station is now able to supply electricity and heating without using fossil fuels.

Thomas Dalsgaard, executive VP and CEO of Bioenergy & Thermal Power at Orsted, said: “With the participation of The Crown Princess, we've now marked the completion of an extensive conversion. Skærbæk Power Station has been given a new and greener life, which will benefit residents in the Danish Triangle Region and contribute to Denmark's green transformation.”

Green transformation
Skærbæk Power Station has undergone a conversion from fossil-fuel based energy to green energy.

Built in 1951, the power station was to use coal as fuel. In 1997, it was converted to gas, and it's now been converted to using wood waste from sustainable forestry.

"By switching to sustainable wood chips, we're reducing Skærbæk Power Station's annual carbon emissions by about 250,000 tonnes. This is equivalent to the annual carbon emissions from more than 125,000 cars," said Dalsgaard.

In a statement, Orsted said it was converting its central power stations to use biomass as fuel instead of coal and gas. The company has decided to entirely stop using coal at all its power stations by 2023 and the conversion of its Skærbæk Power Station will “significantly” reduce its gas consumption.

The company aims to reduce its carbon emissions from its heat and electricity generation by 96% in 2023 compared to 2006.

Skærbæk Power Station produces enough district heating to cover the annual consumption of approximately 60,000 Danish households in the Triangle Region and supplies green power to the Danish power grid.