Skærbæk Power Station getting one step closer
From April 2017, Skærbæk Power Station must be able to use wood chips as fuel, and now the conversion is an important step closer to completion.
Converting Skærbæk Power Station - Steam Drum lift
The conversion of Skærbæk Power Station is in full swing, and during the weekend, DONG Energy took an important step towards converting the plant. Two huge steam drums were hoisted 45 metres and placed on top of the station's boilers.
Leif Høgh Sørensen, Senior Manager in DONG Energy and project manager for the conversion, said: "It went really well. We've been waiting for fine weather, and, fortunately, it came this weekend."
Two huge steam containers
The two steam drums are crucial for the production of district heating at Skærbæk Power Station's new plant. They function by separating the water and the steam which is formed in the wood chip boilers.
"The steam drums are important for the production of district heating at our new plant. They can be compared to the round container on an old-fashioned steam locomotive," Sørensen said.
Each steam drum weighs 85 tonnes and is 18 metres long. They have a diameter of two metres and are built of steel which is 10cm thick. A large crane lifted the two drums securely in position on the plant's boilers 45 metres up in the air.
"Later in May, we'll start cladding the boiler house, so that we can get the plant ready in time," Sørensen said.
DONG Energy expects to start the commissioning of the plant in autumn 2016, enabling the power station to supply district heating based on wood chips in the 2016/17 heating season. The entire conversion of Skærbæk Power Station, which also includes commissioning and service trials, is expected to be completed in April 2017.
