Victorian meat processor installs cogen to cut emissions

Monday, 07 September, 2020 | Supplied by: Simons Green Energy

Victorian meat processor installs cogen to cut emissions

When HW Greenham Tongala was looking to cut emissions it engaged environmental consultant Simons Green Energy (SGE) to help provide an end-to-end solution.

SGE conducted a feasibility study to assess the suitability of HW Greenham & Sons installing a mixed-fuel cogeneration system at its meat processing site in Tongala, Victoria. The system needed to offer significant environmental benefits and make sound financial sense.

So, what is cogeneration?

Cogeneration is the simultaneous production of two forms of energy — electricity and heat — from a single fuel source. Cogeneration uses a gas-powered engine to generate electricity onsite and uses the waste heat from the engine for process heating for manufacturing and other similar applications. On-site electricity generated by cogeneration is claimed to be cleaner and cheaper than coal-fired grid-supplied electricity.

When cogeneration systems are powered by biogas, there can be additional benefits. This is because the gas to power the system is now renewable, has 24 times lower equivalent emissions than if the biogas were released to the atmosphere and the energy generated can be more profitable to the site owner as renewable energy certificates can be created in the generation of this electricity and heat. However, biogas usually needs to be purified and the supply of biogas can be limited at some periods in the day, or isn’t produced in enough quantity to profitably operate a cogeneration system. Therefore, fuel blending may be required.

Fuel blending is using a mix of natural gas and biogas in the cogeneration unit which combines the benefits of each operational fuel into one package. Benefits of fuel blending include: the site can ensure the supply of the fuel for generation; operate at a higher output than would have otherwise been able to run at on biogas alone; reduce the sulfur level of the operational fuel by diluting the biogas with natural gas; improve cost-effectiveness; and enable the possibility of green grants and subsidies.

The solution

SGE was awarded the HW Greenham project and partnered with Siemens to provide the two cogeneration units that are installed on the Tongala site — one fuelled with natural gas and biogas, the other with natural gas. The units operate 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, and the installed cogeneration and biogas system is fully automated with remote monitoring. The control system monitors all the conditions of the site including both cogeneration units, the pumps, the pressures and temperatures of all relevant systems including biogas CAL pressures and flare.

The system uses two SGE-42HM 1000 kW Siemens cogeneration units set to deliver power and heat to the abattoir. SGE covered three of the existing anaerobic lagoons to capture the methane that was naturally being generated in the ponds. The treated biogas as well as natural gas power the engines creating electricity and heat.

The cogeneration systems have a combined maximum electrical output of 2000 kW and 1900 kW of heat. The biogas system has a predicted maximum biogas generation of approximately 80 m3/h, and will provide a portion of the gas required for the generation of the power and heat. The system is set to pay itself back in approximately 3.5 years.

The two generators service the base electrical load for the Tongala site, which is approximately 1800 kW in the daytime, between two switchboards. The generators are electrically led, which means that they vary their output in order to match the grid requirements of the facility. The waste heat produced by the engine is used to heat water from 85 to 95°C. This 95°C water is then used to preheat washdown and process water, via a series of plate heat exchangers onsite. This preheated water reduces the thermal load on the hot water heaters onsite. The calculated heat requirement for the facility’s heating water requirements is approximately 1300 kW. The excess thermal energy from the cogeneration units is used for heating the anaerobic lagoons in order to create more biogas.

Image credit: Simons Green Energy

Online: www.simonsgreenenergy.com.au
Phone: 02 8338 8660
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