Swedish CHP innovation project secures €2.9m funding and proves performance in first year

A Sweden-based combined heat and power (CHP) consortium has said that it is pushing ahead with its project and has secured €2.9m worth of funding.

The project consortium is formed of Meva Energy, the developer of small, circular energy systems with a minimum of distribution and parasitic losses, the research institute of Sweden (RISE) and a leading international furniture manufacturer.

The process that the consortium has developed can turn sawdust waste into energy announces early success

The Local Residue Energy (Loreen) project, which is developing a CHP plant fuelled by the gasification of unprocessed, dry biomass residues from agriculture and wood-based manufacturing, is celebrating a “stellar” first year, the consortium said in a statement.

Milestones since the projects inception in 2016 have included securing €2.9 million investment from InnoEnergy – the innovation engine for sustainable energy across Europe – the completion of an extensive feasibility study and the optimisation of its demonstration system.

Steam-turbine technology

The initial feasibility studies showed that Meva Energy's gasification processes will be able to produce heat and power in the range below the commercial viability of existing steam-turbine technology – typically less than 10MWe.

“Meva Energy’s technology and this project are an ideal illustration of what can be achieved through collaborative innovation and market focus,” said Roland Doll, leader of the Energy from Chemical Fuels Thematic Field at InnoEnergy. “This could be the solution that really expands the possibilities for cogeneration and for biomass.”

Niclas Davidsson, CEO of Meva Energy and Loreen’s project director, added: “Many of our potential customers have already converted fleet vehicles or begun monitoring energy consumption; they are now ready to take the next step.”

This article was written by Liz Gyekye, editor of Bioenergy Insight.