The converted power plant will be run on sustainable biomass in future instead of coal.
According to Dong Energy, preparations for the construction operations have started while the conversion has been initiated officially. By 2019 end, the converted plant is anticipated to be operational to provide green heat and process steam to Kalundborg district.
In June, Finnish company Valmet had bagged the contract to supply the biomass power plant for the project.
The company stated that the funding of the conversion project was possible owing to the 20-year agreement it had made with pharma firms Novo Nordisk, Novozymes and Kalundborg Forsyning.
Dong Energy bioenergy & thermal power executive vice president and CEO Thomas Dalsgaard said: “By 2023, we'll have phased out all use of coal at our power stations. With the conversion of Asnæs Power Station, we and our customers are taking an important step towards becoming coal-free.”
The biomass-fired plant is being planned to be constructed as a separate unit in new buildings that would come up at the existing Asnæs Power Station. After it is ready, the plant will be linked to the existing district heating and process steam networks along with the electricity grid.
The conversion project also involves setting up of a new conveyor system and wood chip storage among other things.
The subsequent conversion from coal to wood chips and other sustainable varieties of biomass at the new Asnæs plant will yield carbon reductions of up to nearly 800,000 tonnes per annum. This is equivalent to avoiding the yearly carbon emissions coming from over 400,000 cars, while making a significant contribution towards Denmark's green conversion.
Image: Sod cutting ceremony at the conversion project of the Asnæs Power Station. Photo: courtesy of DONG Energy A/S.
