REPLACING COAL-BASED HEAT GENERATION WITH GREEN ENERGY SOURCES
We advise the Danish multi-utility company DIN Forsyning on which new energy plants to invest in - when and where.
In short, the purpose of this comprehensive and complex project is to replace the power station's (Esbjergværket) coal-based heat generation with a sustainable source of energy.
In future, the green district heating will be secured partly by seawater-based heat pumps which we help design and commission.
The construction site in Esbjerg includes a wood chip storage, accumulator tank, heat pump building and the new pumping station, Ny Krone, which distributes district heat to end users in the area.
Added Values has designed the control system for Ny Krone and advised on the two large seawater-based heat pumps which will be able to heat about 16,000 households.
Construction site in Esbjerg. Source: DIN Forsyning
We have asked Kenneth Jørgensen, Project Manager at DIN Forsyning in Esbjerg, to describe our consulting services from the initial investment planning to final plant commissioning in the project Green district heating
Together with DIN Forsyning, we have identified a solution comprising two seawater-based heat pumps, a woodchip boiler, and an electric boiler. The heat from these plants will be distributed to the consumers through the new pumping station – Ny Krone.
Modelling and simulation of ”Ny Krone”
In Added Values, we use model-based design and dynamic simulation and the benefits are significant: This approach allows us to simulate various operating situations and identify possible flaws before commissioning. This saves time and money. Moreover, not only does the dynamic simulation ensure an efficient and smooth commissioning, but the process also delivers a quality assurance of the subsequent daily plant operation.
- Learn more about how we have applied model based design and dynamic simulation in connection with Ny Krone
The below picture is from inside Ny Krone – the new pumping station that distributes district heating to consumers in the area. We have designed the control and regulation of Ny Krone.
Design of seawater-based heat pumps
An ordinary, small household heat pump “lives” on cooling an air stream that is sent through an outdoor module. In the same way, the heat pump in Esbjerg “lives” on the supply of 14000 m3 of seawater. An hour! The seawater is sucked in through specially designed filters, which sort out fish without damaging them.
From these filters, the water is pumped 600 meters to the actual heat pumps, where heat is "sucked" out of the seawater. Then the water is returned to the sea; now a few degrees colder. This happens through the approx. 2 x 1500-meter pipes with a diameter of approx. 1.2 meters.
- Learn more about our design of these fascinating seawater-based heat pumps
Layout of heat pump. Source: DIN Forsyning
June 2023
