Stevens Croft: Difference between revisions

[[File:EON-Stevens-Croft.jpg|300px|left|Steven's Croft Biomass Facility]]

A Biomass Waste EFW CHP facility based on 480,000 tonnes per annum of [[Wood Waste]] generating 44MWe to the grid <ref name="SC">[https://www.mottmac.com/article/2282/stevens-croft-biomass-power-station-uk/ Mott MacDonald]</ref>. The plant was developed and is owned by E.ON UK and cost an estimated €132m<ref name="tech">[https://www.power-technology.com/projects/stevenscroftbiomass/ Power Technology]</ref>.

Steven's Croft in Lockerbie Scotland, has an output of 44 MWe and 6.5 MWth, the facility supplies c. 70,000 homes, displacing 140,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases<ref name="SC" />.

The feedstock for the plant includes forest wood and agricultural residues, urban wastes and energy crops, all of which are readily available in the local area, the feedstock comprises<ref name="SC" />:

Construction of the facility at Steven's Croft not only included the biomass plant but a fuel processing facility and 26km of underground electrical cable connecting the plant to Chapel Cross electriclal sub-station<ref name="SC" />. The fuel processing facility was designed to blend all the various sources of fuel mentioned above into one homogeneous material. It includes up to 14 days of round wood storage, a facility for reception of pre-chipped fuel, up to 6000m3 of covered chipped fuel storage, a round wood chipping facility, fuel reclamation and forwarding equipment with systems for final preparation of the fuel before delivery to the power plant.<ref name="SC" />

The facility also provides electricity to its fuel provider AW Jenkinsons and suplies heat to the neighbouring saw mil, James Jones and Sons<ref>[https://www.eonenergy.com/About-eon/our-company/generation/our-current-portfolio/biomass/stevens-croft/ E.ON]</ref>.

Construction of the plant began in October 2005 with the plant entering commissioning in Autumn 2007 <ref name="tech" />. Construction was carried out by a Siemens/Kvaerner consortium with the boiler being a Kvaerner Power Bubbling Fluidised Bed power boiler, fuel handling and flue gas cleaning equipment<ref name="tech" />. The boiler conditions were designed to allow the best efficiency at 537°C, 137Bar with a capacity to raise 16 MWth of energy. The high steam conditions dictate the need for specialist corrosion resistant materials in the high temperature components and to control fuel quality.<ref name="SC" />

Siemens provided overall coordination, engineering and project management as well as the civil works and electrical and I&C equipment<ref name="tech" />.

The power plant can reach full output even with high moisture fuels. It is able to burn a maximum of 20% recycled wood (limited by Planning and [[IPPC]]) and a maximum of 20% short rotation coppice. Moisture content for the plant is between 46% and 58%, with a design blend of 53%<ref name="tech" />.