DONG Energy inaugurated the biowaste gasification plant Pyroneer this month at Asnæs Power Station, Kalundborg, after a set-up phase of almost one year. 

A 100-metre gas pipe will be transporting gas from straw and other more complex fuels directly from the plant into the boiler at Asnæs Power Station to produce green energy.

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The Pyroneer technology

The name ’Pyroneer’ is a contraction of ’pyrolysis’ and ’engineer’. Pyrolysis is decomposition of material by means of heat but without adding oxygen. The Pyroneer technology converts straw, fast-growing willow trees, sewage sludge, manure etc. at two temperatures (650°C and 730°C) into combustible gas. 

”We utilise 90-95 per cent of the energy in the straw, which is sent to the boiler as flammable gas. The ash is separated and can be used as fertiliser in the fields. This way, the nutrients will return to the fields and the energy will go to the consumers,” says Thomas Dalsgaard, Executive Vice President in DONG Energy.

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Demonstration plant in operation

Pyroneer will work as a demonstration plant where DONG Energy for instance can demonstrate the technology to potential buyers from Denmark and abroad. 

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The Pyroneer technology not only enables the efficient generation of electricity and heat at a conventional power station by replacing fossil fuels with gas from biomass waste. The new technology is also aimed at, for example, industrial companies, which can convert their biowaste to heat and electricity for their own consumption by installing a Pyroneer plant of the right scale.

Building the energy system of the future

Energinet.dk, which is an independent company under the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building, has supported the development of the Pyroneer technology for several years. And they are pleased that green energy is now produced by means of this technology.

”In the future, biomass will be in demand and therefore it is very important to utilise it efficiently. The Pyroneer technology is interesting and promising as it makes it possible to use a significantly larger part of biomass in connection with co-firing in coal-fired power stations," says Steen Vestervang from Energinet.dk.

According to Steen Vestervang, the technology can become an important piece of the future energy system, as it also makes it possible to produce gas from biomass that can be transported and stored in the existing system.

Part of larger scale project 

The mayor of the Municipality of Kalundborg is following the development of the Pyroneer technology very closely, as it will be an integral part of a possible green project in Kalundborg called KINEC.

Read more about the KINEC project

"If the KINEC project is realised, the Pyroneer technology will allow us to supply the Municipality of Kalundborg with green energy and heat from waste and biomass from the industry, agriculture and households. This is completely in line with the idea of using waste products to make energy and thus reduce CO2 emissions.” says Martin Damm, Mayor of the Municipality of Kalundborg.

Source: www.dongenergy.com

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