Aggreko’s 43MW CHP Solution Installed at CET Arad Power Plant
Aggreko, the leading global supplier of mobile and modular power, temperature control and energy services, has installed a new Combined Heat and Power (CHP) solution at the CET Arad Power Plant, Romania. The solution will help to increase efficiency and stability at the plant, a key provider of hot water and electricity for the district heating scheme and grid at the regional capital Arad City, for the next four years.
Aggreko’s skilled team of engineers had to contend with the challenges of sustaining the constant power output and demands of the plant whilst reducing carbon emissions; and simultaneously complying with stringent European Entso-E guidelines on grid compliance. The answer to the challenge was an innovative hybrid thermal and electrical cogeneration system, combining gas generators with batteries to provide important low emission ancillary services.
The complete solution comprised a total of total 43MW of power: 21MW gas generation, with a further 20 MW of thermal energy derived from the plant’s operations, supported by an additional 2MW battery capacity. The system has the potential to cut carbon emissions by up to 45% by capturing and using the plant’s exhaust gas and gas engine jacket water to generate further thermal energy.
Aggreko deployed a fully flexible system which allows for all or none of the heat to be recovered, therefore being perfectly suited to meet the required mix of thermal and electrical energy throughout seasonal changes and demand spikes. Energy stability across the site is ensured through the integration of battery units, with 2MW of lithium-ion storage supporting the 14 gas generators. Aggreko and CET Arad contract provides flexible terms to cater to the plant’s variable demand, with Aggreko’s rental solution also avoiding the need for CAPEX investment across the four-year contract. The best-in-class solution works hand in hand with the existing infrastructure and systems of the plant to meet these modern demands and ensure it operates at maximum efficiency.
The project, working to delivery efficiency increases for the plant whilst decreasing CO2 emissions by up to 45%, aligns with Aggreko’s wider net-zero aims and work to assist customers in their energy transitions. The company is committed to a 50% reduction in fossil diesel fuels and local air quality emissions by 2030, as well as achieving net-zero in its own operations by the same year. By 2050, Aggreko will also be a net-zero business across all of the services it provides.
The power plant, operated by CET Arad, has been the main source of energy and heat for nearby Arad city for almost 50 years. It was originally built to provide heat and electricity in the 1970s, and has since developed its offer, with a fall in demand for heat meaning it now works primarily to provide electricity for the Ancillary Services market.
The project complies with local regulations whilst delivering cost-effective heat and power at lower emissions, meaning the plant is able to maintain efficiency whilst lowering carbon footprint, and can respond to changes in demand to the nearest millisecond, ensuring the turbines and ancillary grid facilities on the site are always operating at the most efficient level in both the long-and short-term.
“Across the business, we are seeing increased demand for efficient solutions which work to meet climate and emissions targets, and Aggreko is committed to helping customers navigate this energy transition. I am thrilled with the trust that CET Arad has put in Aggreko to move forward with our innovative solution combining batteries and combined thermal/gas power generators. At Aggreko, we are committed to helping our customers adapt to the energy transition and this project is an example of the innovative solutions we’re deploying to achieve our net-zero ambitions,” Nicolas Protais, Managing Director of Aggreko Rental Solutions, Continental Europe said.
“Aggreko’s international reputation and innovative approach made them an easy choice for our project, and their CHP solution enabled us to find the optimal balance between electrical and thermal production for updating our operations, allowing the plant to become more efficient and cost-effective. The agreement we reached with Aggreko will provide high quality installations and products at the plant, allowing us to provide heating to the Arad city district, but also expand to serve the wider Romanian and European energy markets,” Sorin Daniel Bogosel, General Manager of CET Arad Power Plant, stated.
This project is one of a number of CHP solutions Aggreko has provided to clients to support a diverse range of requirements, including thermal power plants, mining operations, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturing production lines. Aggreko can deliver CHP solutions for both short duration projects as well as providing longer term support as part of its flexible, modular offer.
CHP offers a combined heat and power generation solution that supports ambitions to reduce carbon emissions and improve efficiency without compromising on reliability.
CASE STUDY
Provide unmatched heat and power while lowering emissions
As part of the local community, CET is to provide hot water and electricity to feed the city district heating scheme and the grid at the regional capital of Arad in Romania.
Its aging combined heat and power (CHP) needed a revision. During this, CET requires a partner to help them provide these vital services for the local community for between three and five years.
To optimise the economics of its CHP solution, the plan is to sell the electric power generated by the plant to the national grid, and deliver important ancillary services, which help to balance the pan-European grid too.
CET needed a flexible contract term with the demand being temporary, and avoiding CAPEX also had to be taken into consideration.
Above all else, CET required a best-in-class CHP package that complied with regulations, while delivering reliable, cost-effective heat and power.
An integrated hybrid solution – batteries and gas power
Aggreko were recommended for the job and their experts had to design and engineer an integrated solution to combine power production with balancing services and CO2 emissions reduction.
Aggreko devised a package that could produce electrical and thermal energy from natural gas, using a customised design.
Aggreko combined its high-efficiency gas generators with a waste-heat recovery system and its battery storage to supply their customer with a CHP solution that fits the requirement for both power and heat output.
Aggreko produced thermal energy by capturing exhaust gas and jacket water from gas engines, enhancing the overall efficiency of the solution and keeping emissions in check.
This fully flexible system allows none, some or all of the heat to be recovered. It means that it is perfectly suited to meet the required mix of electrical and thermal energy, depending on seasonal requirement
Aggreko reinforced the supply from the gas generators with battery storage to provide a hybrid resource that can respond to changes in demand instantly, which kept the frequency stable. This is because its batteries react with millisecond-level precision, which allows the customer to ramp up power to the gas turbines to provide longer-term support – and it means the gas turbines can run at their most efficient level.
