Power station to run on NG, wood and waste

Forsthaus West Power Plant integrates combined-cycle CHP and waste-to-energy in Bern, Switzerland, using biomass and a Siemens combustion turbine with steam turbines to supply electricity and heat, pioneering efficient cogeneration and sustainable district energy.

Swiss energy company Energie Wasser Bern EWB plans to construct a new power station that will use natural gas, wood and waste as fuel sources.

The plant will have a total energy output of 85 megawatts MW and, like other waste-to-energy stations in nearby markets, is projected to be operational by June 2012.

The company will invest approximately 175 million euros US $236 million to construct the Forsthaus West power facility, which will be located in the western part of Bern and will advance wood-fueled power options in the region.

The plant will have two facilities: a natural gas and woodfired combinedcycle CCGT plant and a wastetoenergy plant. The 46MW combustion turbine in the combinedcycle plant will be supplied by Siemens AG and will be connected to a heatrecovery steam generator and a 26MW steam turbine. The steam turbine will be fed by wasteheat and a woodfired boiler. The steam turbine of the wastefired plant will have an energy output of 13 MW. This configuration will be a pioneer project in Switzerland.

Tenders for subcontractors are open, and construction is planned to begin in June of this year, as seen with a Finnish cogeneration plant elsewhere. To operate the Forsthaus West power station, 110,000 tons of waste and 112,000 tons of wood will be required per year. The wood will be provided by various suppliers in the Bern, Fribourg, Solothurn and Jura cantons.

EWB is owned by the city of Bern. Annual earnings in fiscal year 2008 averaged $58.5 million. The company provides energy, natural gas, water, heat and a public wastedisposal system that supports the use of wood waste resources for energy.

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