UPB begins construction of biomass cogeneration plant in Latvia

UPB Energy has begun the construction of a biomass cogeneration station at Cieceres parish, Kurzeme region, Latvia.

The station, with a planned electric power output of 3.98MW and thermal power of 15.9MW, has been commissioned by 4 Energia, an independent electicity producer in the Baltic States, with UPB supplying and installing the plant’s technology.

The biomass cogeneration station will generate electric power and thermal power by burning local, renewable energy resources such as wood-pulp biomass (woodchips, sawdust, and tree bark).

A high-pressure steam boiler and a steam turbine with a synchronous generator will be installed in the station.

The boiler, with an automatic fuel feed system and moving grate furnace, will provide the fuel combustion process, and the steam produced inside the boiler will be transformed into electric power in the multi-stage steam turbine and synchronous generator.

A flue gas condenser will be used to harness the latent heat of flue gases in order to fully utilize all produced thermal energy.

All of the produced electrical power will be transferred to Sadales Tikls, a Latvian power company, while the acquired thermal power will be used in the production process of a pellet factory being built next to the plant, thus enabling year-round use the captured heat.

Toms Naburgs, representative of 4 Energia, comments: ‘ The Veckrogeli industrial complex is a large project for Kurzeme Region and also important for the development. Cogeneration station and the pellet factory will create 35 new direct jobs. All the goods produced by the pellet factory will be exported.’

‘This will be a turnkey project to be implemented by UPB Energy in cooperation with other companies of UPB holding ensuring a full cycle – from design, construction, and installation of equipment up to launching of the station. We have successfully implemented similar projects before, for example, biomass cogeneration station in Liepaja with thermal power capacity of 10 MW and electricity capacity of 2 MW, biomass boiler-house in Liepaja with thermal power capacity of 30 MW, and other projects,’ Dainis Berzins, chairman of the board of UPB Holding, describes the project.

Construction of the cogeneration station is ongoing, with the station and the pellet production plant scheduled to be commissioned in autumn of 2016.