All subjects
Heat & Power

Ørsted to use straw again at Studstrup Power Station

After a test period, Denmark-headed energy utility major Ørsted has decided to co-fire straw with wood pellets at its Studstrup Power Station outside Aarhus. This means that the power station will once again use straw from Danish fields.

An error occurred

You are logged in as subsbriber at Bioenergy International, but something is wrong.

On your profile you can see what subscriptions you have access to and more information.

Is some of the information wrong – please contact our customer service.

Please reload the page

We could not ascertain if you are logged in or not. Please reload this page.
Bioenergy International premium

Do you want to read the whole article?

Only logged in payed subscribers can read all contents on bioenergyinternational.com
As an subscriber you get:
  • Six editions per year
  • Full access to all digital content
  • The E-magazine Bioenergy international
  • And more ...
Danish energy utility major Ørsted has decided to co-fire straw with wood pellets at its Studstrup Power Station outside Aarhus. This means that the power station will once again use straw from Danish fields (photo courtesy Ørsted).

Studstrup Power Station has previously used straw as fuel. But back then, it was in combination with coal, which until 2016 was the primary source of fuel at the power station. Since 2016, when the plant phased out coal completely, straw has not been used as fuel.

This is partly because straw has a high ash content, which can destroy the boilers if it is not used as a supplement to coal. But after a test period, it has nevertheless proved possible.

It’s very positive that we now have the opportunity to use straw from Danish fields as a supplement to our wood pellets at Studstrup Power Station. Using different fuel types gives us greater reliability of supply, and it makes perfect sense to use the residual products that are in our backyard, said Thomas Lyse, Senior Director in Ørsted and responsible for procuring fuel for the power stations.

Up to 10 percent

A start-up period was necessary to prepare Studstrup Power Station for using straw as fuel again. First, the boilers and burners had to be adjusted to using wood pellets instead of coal, and then the power station’s engineers could start testing the possibilities of adding straw.

We tested the options for a period of time, during which we gradually increased the quantity of straw. And we’ve concluded that we can replace about eight to ten percent of the wood pellets with straw without destroying the boilers, said Thomas Lyse.

In the coming heating season, Studstrup Power Station expects to use 40 000 – 45 000 tonnes of straw, which, along with wood pellets from sustainable forestry, will ensure green district heating for Aarhus and the surrounding area.

Ørsted also has a straw-fired boiler at Avedøre Power Station, which converts approximately 130 000 tonnes of straw to district heating each year.

Most read on Bioenergy International

Get the latest news about Bioenergy

Subscribe for free to our newsletter
Sending request
I accept that Bioenergy International stores and handles my information.
Read more about our integritypolicy here