Valmet chosen by EPC Steinmüller Babcock Environment GmbH to deliver automation for Lounavoima Oy’s greenfield waste-to-energy plant in Salo, Finland

Feb 13, 2020

Valmet will supply its DNA Automation System, complete with its special emission monitoring and reporting application, to Lounavoima Oy’s greenfield waste-to-energy plant to benefit local residents and businesses that seek cleaner energy for living. Lounavoima was founded in Salo, in southwestern Finland, to manage the construction and operation of the plant by municipal waste management company Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy and the municipal district heating company Salon Kaukolämpö Oy.

This is the third order placed by the Germany-based Steinmüller Babcock Environment GmbH for similar waste-to-energy plants. The contract was awarded to Valmet in September 2019. Commissioning will start in Q4 of 2020, while the takeover is planned for June 2021. The order is included in Valmet’s orders received in the third quarter 2019. The value of the order is not disclosed.

Construction of the Lounavoima greenfield single-line waste-to-energy (WtE) plant began in March 2019. The plant will convert unrecyclable municipal solid waste into local energy. It will produce 180–190 GWh/a of heat for the local district heating network from 120,000 tons of municipal and commercial waste, which is thermally recycled each year from the cities of Turku, Salo and the surrounding areas. This covers 90% of the total district heating required for the city of Salo, with a population of just over 52,000. Another 72 GWh/a of electricity will be produced annually for the public grid.

“We are proud that we have been nominated for the comprehensive automation delivery in the Salo project in Finland. This underlines the long-lasting collaboration on several projects between Steinmüller Babcock and Valmet. Steinmüller Babcock selected Valmet in 2018 to provide the automation control system for a WtE plant in Vilnius, Lithuania, and another plant in San Sebastian, Spain. Those projects are currently in execution phase,” says Johann Hilgers, Sales Manager, Automation, Valmet.

Joni Viitanen, Project Manager from Valmet, adds: “Valmet has extensive knowledge from delivering automation systems to waste-to-energy plants and a strong footprint in Finnish energy production. Valmet DNA is a natural choice for WtE plants in Finland. Additionally, Steinmüller Babcock works with precision and quality to provide long-term technical solutions and expects the same from its partners.”

Information about Valmet’s delivery

Valmet’s scope of delivery includes the Valmet DNA Automation Control system, the Power Plant Information Management System, an integrated DNA WI Emission Monitoring system, a Himax Safety system, as well as engineering and project execution. Additionally, Valmet will provide the control room equipment and the instrumentation loop engineering for Steinmüller Babcock.

Information about Steinmüller Babcock

Steinmüller Babcock Environment GmbH, provides worldwide solutions for thermal waste treatment in waste-to-energy plants and solutions for flue gas treatment in large power plants. Steinmüller Babcock is part of the Japanese company Nippon Steel Engineering Co. Ltd.

Information about Lounavoima

Lounavoima Oy is a local waste-to-energy company owned by Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy (LSJH) and Salon Kaukolämpö Oy. Lounavoima Oy’s task is to use unrecyclable municipal waste collected by LSJH and convert it into energy. In accordance with its task, Lounavoima Oy is building a waste-to-energy plant in Korvenmäki, Salo. The plant will begin operation in 2021.

 

For further information, please contact:

Johann Hilgers, Sales Manager, Automation
johann.hilgers(at)valmet.com

 

We are proud that we have been nominated for the comprehensive automation delivery in the Salo project in Finland. This underlines the long-lasting collaboration on several projects between Steinmüller Babcock and Valmet. Steinmüller Babcock selected Valmet in 2018 to provide the automation control system for a WtE plant in Vilnius, Lithuania, and another plant in San Sebastian, Spain. Those projects are currently in execution phase."
Johann Hilgers, Sales Manager, Automation, Valmet