Nordic energy-as-a-service (EaaS) provider Adven Group has announced that its circular energy partnership in Grums, Sweden, has reached a new milestone. By capturing even more excess heat from Billerud Gruvön’s mill, Adven can to an even greater extent run Grums' district heating network on residual heat – while also substantially increasing the waste heat supply to Stora Enso's Gruvön sawmill.
A collaboration between Billerud Gruvön’s mill and the energy company Adven has been ongoing for over two decades. Over the past years, around 80 percent of district heating in Grums was derived from residual heat.
Thanks to an expanded collaboration between the companies, the amount of residual heat captured and reused in the Grums district heating system has now doubled.
This saves 40 GWh per annum – and raises the share of residual heat used in the local district heating system up to 90 percent, a level matched by few other regions in Sweden.
It’s a clear example of how we can create climate benefits and more efficient use of resources through collaboration, said Anders von Dolwitz, energy engineer at Billerud Gruvön Mill.
System tailored for residual heat recovery
Residual heat is often challenging to reuse due to its low temperature. However, in this case, the potential for heat recovery was integrated early in the planning when Billerud modernized parts of its production.
Investments in coolers and control technology have enabled the heat to reach 120 degrees Celsius, eliminating the need for heat pumps.
If you think circular right from the start, even low-grade heat can become a high-value resource, said Adven’s residual heat expert Lars Sjökvist.
The result is an annual energy saving of 40 GWh– equivalent to the annual heating needs of approximately 2,000 standard-sized Swedish homes.
This is an important milestone. We are now capturing energy that would otherwise be lost- while also freeing up biofuels for use where they’re needed more, said Lars Sjökvist.
