Cleaner and more efficient energy production in Aittaluoto

The Aittaluoto 2020 project implemented in the Aittaluoto industrial area in Pori has been completed, and the plant has been put into operation. In the project, the Aittaluoto power plant, opened in 1968, was modernized to meet new environmental requirements and the growing energy needs in the future. The investment of EUR 60 million ensures sufficient energy production for the needs of the Aittaluoto industrial area well into the future.

The modernization of the plant included a new BFB-type boiler plant burning biomass, a back pressure turbine, and a flue gas condensing unit. Except for the turbine, all the plant's technology comes from Finnish suppliers.The technology, which complies with strict requirements, is sourced from domestic suppliers, with the exception of the turbine.

Insta Automation delivered the project instrumentation installations for the boiler, turbine area, and flue gas condenser, in addition to which the company also delivered the project's field boxes. Insta's share of the work began in May 2019 and continued until February 2020. At the busiest time, there were 20 Insta employees on site.

Energy production with lower fuel volumes and using local biofuel

Almost half of the Aittaluoto power plant's production is district heating, which is supplied to the networks in Pori and Ulvila. In addition, the plant produces steam for the industrial needs of the Aittaluoto and Kupariteollisuuspuisto area, as well as cogenerated electricity for customers of Pori Energia. Most of the wood fuel used by the plant is sourced from the Aittaluoto industrial area.

With the power plant upgrade and the new boiler, the use of fossil fuels will be reduced, and emissions will decrease significantly. With the new boiler, varying fuels can be utilized in an environmentally friendly way. With the flue gas condenser, more energy can be recovered from the fuel, and the heat can be used in the production of district heating and for in-plant processes.

The future is also taken into account in the project engineering, as the plant's fuel base can be expanded to include more challenging fuels, such as other industrial waste.

What is it all about?

The investment value of the Aittaluoto 2020 project is approximately EUR 60 million. With the new plant, the carbon dioxide emissions of the Aittaluoto power plant will decrease significantly. The amount of biofuel used in Aittaluoto can be further increased, as the new 80 MW boiler can also burn biofuel exclusively. The flue gas heat recovery system of the plant produces district heat with a capacity of 20 MW, and will reduce the plant's fuel demand by approximately 600 truckloads per year. Production of the plant, which received an environmental permit in 2017, has started in the spring of 2020.