Large Industrial Symbiosis Solution with biomass
Reference: DuPont
Viegand Maagøe has assisted the bio-tech company DuPont with project development and basis for investment decision in order to convert the energy supply to biomass and utilize the waste heat for district heating in the neighbor town Grindsted.
How we completed the assignment
DuPont Nutrition Biosciences ApS is one of the world’s biggest producers of enzymes and pectin substances.
Viegand Maagøe has in several phases assisted in making a basis for investment decisions to establish a more sustainable energy supply at the plant in Grindsted in Denmark.
We analyzed the effect of converting the plant from natural gas to first partly wood pellets and later to full use of wood chips. From combustion of biomass, DuPont could use the significant amount of waste heat in flue gasses from the boiler plant to produce district heating. This could cause great savings in fuel expenditures together with the income from selling district heating to the town Grindsted.
Viegand Maagøe has further analyzed and assessed the technical and financial consequences of converting the boiler plant to use of wood chips and the consequences of increasing the district heating export.
Viegand Maagøe has e.g.:
- mapped existing turbine- and boiler plants’ equipment and operational patterns
- analyzed taxation schemes for:
– using alternative fuel
– changed electric power generation
– exporting waste heat from boiler plants to district heating - estimated necessary investments by converting boiler plants to use wood chips
- analyzed operational savings of:
– 100 % transition to wood chips
– increased electric power generation
– increased export of district heating - estimated operating economy in establishing biogas based on wastewater (WWTP)
- analyzed the possibilities of subsidies for different scenarios.
Reference: DuPont
Contract period: 2008 - 2018
Results
Viegand Maagøe’s recommendations made it easy for DuPont’s plant in Grindsted and the Board of Directors to make a decision. By converting to wood chips, the company has reduced the current operational costs by 20-30 %.
The fuel change and export of district heating have saved the environment for 60,000 tons CO2, yearly. The project was elected as the Sustainability Project of the Year 2017 in the DuPont group.
DuPont’s payback time was less than five years despite a large investment. Aside from this, the plant can secure another large revenue by optimizing the electric power generation and increase the export of district heating.
