Mercer pioneers in sustainable bioelectricity

 Friday, December 9, 2022

Mercer Timber Products (MTP) is operating its own biomass power plant to generate heat and bioelectricity for use in their production mill. A firing heat capacity of 49.5 MW and an electrical capacity of 12.89 MW are available at the Saalburg-Ebersdorf site plant.

All of the wood used by Mercer Timber Products is raw. The firm uses sustainable biomass fuels that they have also purchased, as well as sawmill byproducts (like bark), in the production process in order to sustainably utilize any resources that the raw material wood affords them.

A Cogeneration Plant

MTP is a proud SURE certificate (Sustainable Resources Verification Scheme GmbH) owner. This certification is a hallmark of trust that only the use of fuels that come from sustainably managed forests is availed by Mercer Timber Products. Cogeneration plant is the more precise name for the biomass power plant. Electrical and thermal energy are produced simultaneously in this intricate process.

Sawn timber is dried using the heat energy that is produced. A trough chain conveyor is then used to move the residual biomass fuel to the combustion system or the grate fire system. A steam turbine technology process is employed for this. Here, a steam generator uses one-third of the steam to create power. The kinetic energy of the steam is transferred to the turbine when the water in the generator is heated to a vaporous state and passed over one. This mechanical energy is transformed into electrical energy by the generator connected to the turbine.

What happens to the ash produced in the process?
By employing bark and other byproducts of wood in this cogeneration process, filter ash (also known as fly ash) is created in addition to the grate ash. Flue gas is created during the incineration process, cleaned in a flue gas cleaning system, and then released through a stack. The flue gasses are separated from the filter ash, another byproduct of the incineration process, and it is then gathered in a closed system.

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Tags: bioelectricity, biomass, biomass power plant, MERCER, Mercer Timber Products, sustainable, wood, woodworking and manufacturing, woodworking event, woodworking industry, woodworking UK