Biomass-Fired Heating Plant for District Heat Production

Metso (Finland) will supply a biomass-fired heating plant for district heat production to Savon Voima Oyj in Leppävirta in Finland. Following the investment, the municipality of Leppävirta will have access to more district heat generated using renewable fuels, in accordance with Savon Voima's bioenergy program. The new heating plant will significantly reduce the consumption of oil. The plant will go on stream in late 2013. The value of the order is approximately EUR 9 million.

Metso's turnkey delivery will include process equipment and buildings as well as installation and construction work. The delivery will also include Metso's flue gas scrubber. Once completed, the plant will have a heat output of 8 MW and it will produce hot water for the district heating network of the municipality of Leppävirta. The plant will be fired by wood-based biomass sourced locally, such as forest residue and peat.

"We chose Metso as the supplier of our new plant because we have a long history of successful cooperation with Metso during previous plant deliveries, the latest of which was the delivery of a plant of the same size to Suonenjoki. Metso's solution also offered the best overall economy," says Savon Voima's Project Manager Hannu Lipsanen.

"We want to be a reliable partner in advancing Savon Voima's sustainable projects that use domestic fuel. The Leppävirta project is very important for us. We will supply a plant which will reduce the use of fossil fuels and provide an energy efficient solution for district heat production," confirms Teemu Koskela, in charge of the sales of bioheat plants at Metso.

The order is included in Metso's Pulp, Paper and Power fourth quarter 2012 orders received.

Savon Voima Oyj is a Finnish energy company that provides and markets electricity and heating services. With sales totalling more than EUR 211 million (2011), the company is one of Finland's largest providers of energy services. Savon Voima is also a significant employer within the energy sector, and has staff of approximately 170 professionals. Years of systematic investments in emission-free energy production have raised the proportion of bioenergy in heat generation to over 80 percent.