New combined heat and power plant working sustainably

A combined heat and power plant (CHP) is a modular system for generating electrical energy and producing heat, and is preferably operated at the location where the heat is consumed. The plant uses the principle of cogeneration of heat and power. 

Ralf Köllner, Energy Management Officer at BUTTING, explains: "We use a natural gas engine with an effective electrical output of 499 kWh to drive the generator. Our CHP ensures particularly effective use of the fuel and so our demand for natural resources is reduced significantly. Thanks to efficient cogeneration of heat and power, CO2 emissions are minimised. Overall, our CHP makes a valuable contribution to environmental protection, conserves resources and minimises ongoing energy costs."Investment in the CHP at BUTTING was initiated as part of the construction of the new pipe pickling facility. Both the economic and the ecological principle of a heat-driven operation were convincing. The higher overall efficiency compared to the conventional combination of local heating and a central power plant results from the fact that the waste heat from the electricity generation is put to good use. "At BUTTING, we feed the generated heat into the pipe pickling facility. This means that, depending on the products to be pickled, we can heat the pickling medium and significantly reduce the pickling times," says Ralf Köllner. "From commissioning to the end of July, we have already generated around 1.3 GWh of electrical energy and 610 MWh of thermal energy, and could even increase this output." BUTTING is able to take full advantage of the benefits of CHP: up to 50 per cent lower energy costs due to the simultaneous production of electricity and heat, high levels of efficiency due to the use of up to 90 per cent of the primary energy, and fewer emissions of climate-damaging CO2 due to the cogeneration of electricity and heat. Ralf Köllner explains: "In addition, with our CHP, we are more independent of the electricity suppliers. We generate the electricity ourselves, which means that we as operators can even counteract current spikes and avoid machine shutdowns." 

His conclusion is nothing but positive: "We are reducing our electricity consumption at Knesebeck and producing heat on the side. In the future, we may even use the heat to heat our production halls. That is resource conservation in action!"
 

BUTTING – more than pipes – for a better quality of life