German power plant switches from lignite to biomass

Koehler Paper is converting the power plant at its paper production plant in Greiz, Germany, from utilising pulverised lignite to fine wood fraction fuel. Koehler Renewable Energy has developed a technique for using biomass in the existing coal-fired plant.

The company is investing €6.5mn in converting the plant, which it aims to commission at the end of 2022.

The group has set a goal of producing more energy from renewable sources by 2030 than is required for paper production. Udo Hollbach, CEO of the Koehler Paper site in Greiz claims that switching from lignite to wood should save more than 24,000 t/y of carbon dioxide emissions at the plant.

The paper processing and drying process requires enormous amounts of heat, which is why the company decided to build its own power plant at Greiz, back in 2010. The plant has a rated thermal input of 17 MW and generates up to 19 tonnes of steam, as well as electricity to supply the production plant. The conversion to biomass will also result in significantly lower sulphur emissions compared to using pulverised lignite.

Photo: Koehler Paper