Enviropower maintains constant power output with ABB gas analyzers

ABB gas analyzers have helped the energy plant achieve operation targets whilst meeting the requirements of the Environment Agency Highly reliable ABB gas analyzers that have not suffered a single time loss failure in five years have allowed a waste to energy plant in West Sussex to achieve its target of 85% percent operating time.

The plant, owned and operated by Enviropower in Lancing, has a 5MWe capacity, burning around 60,000 tonnes a year of biomass fuel derived from construction and demolition waste.

Built in 2008, the plant uses an ABB ACF-NT multi-gas analyzer on each of its two combustion lines.

Used to measure all the gas emissions from the plant, their data is sent to an emission reporting system, allowing Enviropower to prove that it is meeting the requirements of the Environment Agency.

Working with its construction company for the project, Enviropower chose ABB as the analyzer vendor because of the high reliability of its products and its demonstrated ability to integrate complete solutions.

Steve Donnelly, Analytical Sales Specialist for ABB, says: “ABB was chosen not only because of the quality of its products, but also for its ability to integrate these products with third party systems as part of a complete solution. Another attraction for Enviropower was ABB’s ability to install and service the solution.

“We were looking for a big name supplier,” says the plant’s General Manager, Mick Adams. “We wanted an organization that had experience in the industry and which could offer the kind of service support we needed.

“Because our operation is permit based, we have to meet certain criteria. One of these is the use of equipment that complies with the requirements of the Environment Agency’s MCERTS standards. Our permit specifies a minimum oxygen content of 11%, which will shortly reduce to six percent, so it was important that the analyzers had the flexibility to adapt to changing regulations.

“There were a number of large companies that could meet our needs but none we felt so comfortable with. All the people we met at ABB were very helpful and easy to deal with.

Reliability of the analyzers was also key to the selection of ABB for Enviropower, as was excellent service. Says Adams: “If the analyzers are not online we cannot produce power, so it was vital that reliability was high and that servicing was kept to a minimum.”

The ABB analyzers need servicing only once every six months. “ABB provides us with very good support,” says Adams. “We are very happy with the service regime which is very well organized and
gives 24/7 support through a dedicated helpline.”

ABB also liaised closely with the Environment Agency to ensure the solution provided to Enviropower would meet the company’s needs. “We conducted a pre-design consultancy phase to ensure that the analyzer solution would fit onto the site, could connect to the plant control systems and would be maintainable in-situ,” says Donnelly. “Every analyzer solution we produce is designed to the specific requirements of a particular site and includes a support package.”

The ABB ACF-NT emission and process monitoring analyzer offers continuous, quantitative and selective measurement of numerous gasses, including HCl, HF, H2O, CO, CO2, SO2, NOX, NH3, N2O, O2, TOC and NMHC (non-methane hydrocarbons). The product achieves high stability, accuracy and reliability through proven FTIR technology.

It also offers integration and display of signals from other instruments, including data on dust, mercury, flow, pressure and temperature.

ABB’s support extended to helping complete the project when the original contractor ran into difficulties towards the end of the contract. “ABB stepped up to ensure that the contract could be completed and took on the financial burden of seeing the project through to completion,” says Adams.

“ABB has done its very best to support us and has looked after our interests very well.”

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For more information about ABB’s gas analyzers, email moreinstrumentation@gb.abb.com or call 0870 600 6122.

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