Finland-headed forest industry and energy technology provider Valmet Oyj has announced that it has been selected to rebuild Koehler Paper’s power boilers at its Oberkirch and Kehl paper mill sites in Germany to increase the production of sustainable energy from renewable sources.
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In May 2021, Germany-headed specialty paper and energy company Koehler Holding SE & Co. KG (Koehler Group) announced that would it invest approximately EUR 60 million to convert a coal-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Oberkirch to operate on biomass.
In Oberkirch, Valmet will convert an existing circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler at a combined heat and power (CHP) plant from combusting coal to biomass.
The Oberkirch CHP plant produces approximately 100 GWh of electric power and 330 000 tonnes of steam per year for paper production at Koehler Paper Oberkirch’s papermill.
Valmet’s delivery scope includes boiler modifications and external equipment for converting the coal-fired CFB boiler for biomass; a new biomass feeding system, new burners for renewable fuel, additional heating surfaces, ash removal improvement, a selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) system and additive feeding for the baghouse filter.
The delivery will be taken over by Koehler in October 2024.
By switching from bituminous coal to biomass as the primary fuel for our location in Oberkirch, we will be cutting more than 150 000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year. By converting away from fossil fuels, Koehler is proactively playing its part in reducing global warming, said Dr Stefan Karrer, COO, Koehler Group.
In Kehl, Valmet will supply a fuel upgrade on an existing CFB boiler at the CHP plant and this delivery will be taken over by the customer in September 2023. With the modification, new fuels – mainly sludges – will be added to the existing biomass fuel portfolio.
Valmet will modify the existing 44 MWth boiler and deliver equipment such as sludge feeding systems, bottom and fly ash system upgrades, and modifications to superheaters.
Although the value of the orders has not been disclosed, Valmet says that the joint value of such rebuilds and supply scopes is typically around EUR 20 million.
Valmet is serving customers with solutions for decarbonization and sustainable energy production, and we are happy to share the journey toward a carbon-neutral future with Koehler Paper, said Aleksi Salmirinne, VP, Energy business unit, Pulp, and Energy business line, Valmet.
