Converting Amager power plant to biomass
Completing the transition to renewable sources at a thermal power plant initially powered by fossil fuels
The city of Copenhagen aims to be the world’s first carbon-neutral capital. To meet this target, HOFOR, which provides district heating and electricity to more than 500,000 Copenhagen residents, decided to complete the conversion of Amager Power Station from coal to biomass with an entire new block for the combined heat and power plant.
Artelia Denmark provided the engineering design for the building project, which became the largest construction site in Denmark at the time.
- HOFOR A/S
- Copenhagen (Denmark)
- 2015-2020
- Design studies and construction management for a new biomass production plant
400 MJ/s
of heat and 150 MW of electricity
25 %
of Copenhagen’s heat demand is supplied
80-95%
CO2 saved using biomass instead of coal
CONTEXT & ISSUES
Originally built in 1971, the Amager thermal power plant ran on coal to produce heat and electricity. From 2010, it began its conversion to biomass, gradually replacing the existing equipment with units able to run on wood and wood chips. After working on the three previous combustion units, Artelia Denmark was awarded a major contract for the construction of a new biomass-fired block, named AMV4.
This new unit is equipped with high-performance filtration systems, notably to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, and a flue gas condensation process that increases heat production for district heating. All of the plant’s production has now been converted to biomass supplying almost 25% of Copenhagen’s heat demand.
This has necessitated a major redevelopment of the plant. In addition to new offices and laboratories, a dedicated port area has been created near the power station, with quays and facilities for unloading, handling and storing logs. A wood chip transport system (covered conveyor belt) has also been installed to link this port to the power plant.