Saxlund ensures robust feedstock handling solution for award winning Hull biomass energy project
The award winning project will turn 400,000 tonnes of waste wood into 21MW power.
Biomass and materials handling specialist Saxlund International is delivering a state of the art feedstock handling and storage solution for a new award winning 21 MW biomass energy plant in Hull, following a £1.7 million contract with plant designers Heat Recovery Solutions (HRS Energy).
The Tansterne Advanced Biomass Project, a collaboration between Heat Recovery Solutions and renewables investment company Solar 21, won ‘Best Renewables Project’ in the recent prestigious Humber Renewables Awards 2017 and is expected to produce 21 MWE enough clean energy to power 10% of homes in the greater Hull area.
Saxlund’s involvement covers the design, installation and commissioning of a complete end-to-end fuel handling solution comprising two fuel lines, each feeding an advanced fluidised bed boiler. Each fuel line incorporates a crane-fed Saxlund Push Floor fuel bunker providing 200m3 storage capacity, together with chain and belt conveyors designed for consistent uninterrupted fuel delivery 24/7, with all supporting structures and access towers.
Additional technology incorporates non-ferrous and ferrous metal removal, oversize screening and a weigh belt solution, to ensure fuel meets required specification with a correctly metered flow at the boiler. The system is designed to handle 400,000 tonnes of sustainably sourced local waste wood per annum, following ‘first in, first out’ design principles to prevent compaction issues and fuel degradation.
Mark Wickham, Managing Director of HRS Energy, said: “Tansterne, which will be commissioned a little over 15 months after works began, is set to produce some of the most efficient, flexible and cost-effective clean power on the market, feeding 10% of households in the Hull area. Getting the feedstock handling solution right is integral to the project’s success and Saxlund has worked with us from the earliest design stages to ensure a robust fully automated and reliable solution.”
Matt Drew, Managing Director of Saxlund International added: “We are delighted to have been selected to provide the fuel handling at Tansterne in Hull. Pre-contract discussions and early design engagement ensures the projects benefits from the widest design inputs to provide a fully resilient solution for the life of the plant and capable of managing varied biomass fuel sources. With the addition of Tansterne we are currently engaged with 14 biomass energy projects across the UK.”
Currently in final construction, commissioning for the fuel handling solution is due for completion in Autumn 2017.