UPM Caledonian Paper receives Industrial and Commercial Award for new Siemens Energy biomass heat, power station at its Irvine, Scotland, facility; energy upgrade will serve as plant's primary fuel

Kendall Sinclair

ERLANGEN, Germany , December 1, 2011 (press release) – Siemens and UPM Caledonian Paper (UPM) have received the Industrial and Commercial Award for their successful construction of a combined heat and power station in Irvine, Scotland. This award is bestowed annually by the British Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA) for innovations in the power generation and supply sector. The awarding ceremony was held in mid-November at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

Honors conferred for reduced CO2 emissions

UPM, a front-running international producer of magazine paper, has completed an upgrading project in which a fossil-fueled paper-mill boiler was replaced with a modern, fully integrated, biomass-fueled combined heat and power plant. 350,000 t/a of biomass in combination with production residue from the Irvine facility will serve as the plant's primary fuel. The new plant's SST-300 turbine generates all the process steam needed for producing UPM Caledonian's coated paper and for drying the pulp.

In addition to this successful cooperation, Siemens' specially tailored SST-300 single-casing industrial steam turbine was the decisive factor for receiving the award. With a rating of 50 Megawatt (MW), this steam turbine and its modular design concept enable cost-effective accommodation of the owner's individual wants and needs. Thanks to the use of Siemens turbine technology, the CO2 reduction figures published in UMP's balance of accounts were exceeded for the company's Irvine power plant. CO2 emissions can now be reduced by some 75,000 tons annually: That is tantamount to roughly 35,000 households converting to a renewable form of power generation. After a mere two-year period of construction, the plant was commissioned ahead of schedule in the spring of 2009. Situated in Ayrshire, roughly 50km southwest of Glasgow, this project counts as a significant milestone in the ecologically sound generation of electricity by biomass power plants.

"This award," says Steve Wildman, Director and General Manager of the Oil & Gas Division at Siemens Energy UK, "underscores our leadership in the development of eco-friendly solutions for the generation of power and heat, particularly by means of our practice-proven, highly efficient turbine technology. Thanks to outstanding cooperation on the part of UPM Caledonian, we were able to develop the best solution for all concerned. In addition, this projects helps us support Great Britain's ambitious energy policy objectives."

Gordon Mitchell, General Manager of UPM Caledonian said: "Winning this major award is recognition for both businesses in their role in driving forward a really key project for UPM Caledonian’s business, for the environment, and for Scotland. The Siemens team demonstrated real commitment in working with us to develop the most sustainable solution for our business."

Scotland is aiming for 80 % coverage of its overall energy needs from renewable energy sources by the year 2020. Biomass is of key importance within that context, because combustion in biomass-fueled power plants releases only as much CO2 as the plants actually "consume" from the atmosphere when growing.

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