Trams in Szczecin to be powered by energy from waste

Energy will be obtained from the EcoGenerator. This is a modern waste incineration plant that has been in operation since 2017. Thanks to the contract, Trams in Szczecin will travel thanks to the energy produced by incinerating waste

The contract for the purchase of electricity for a needs of the Szczecin Trams was signed on 1 August 2023. The contract will run from 1 January to 31 July 2024. For the time being, the contract is a pilot, but it may be extended in the future

The EcoGenerator burns waste collected in Szczecin. The plant uses a wet flue gas cleaning system. This means that before leaving the plant, the flue gases pass through several process units, where they are gradually stripped of harmful gaseous substances and dust. This makes them safe for the environment and residents. A nitrogen oxide reducer, an electrostatic precipitator for dust and ash separation, an absorber for fluorine and chlorine compounds and a sulphur dioxide absorber are used here

The final stage of flue gas treatment is the adsorption of organic substances, dioxins, furans, heavy metals and mercury onto activated carbon,” reads the ecogenerator.eu website

The energy produced will power the designated electricity consumption points. These are the so-called rectifier stations “Piotra Skargi”, “Gontyny”, “Gdańska”, “Rugianska”, “Kaliny” and “Piesza”. The energy sent to these points will be fed into the overhead line. This means that the energy from the rubbish will be used by the tram lines that run in the region of the points indicated, these include lines no. 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. While the energy from the EcoGenerator will meet 30 per cent of the needs of Szczecin Trams

How much will electricity from rubbish cost? The contract value assumes a price of PLN 448.15 per MWh. In total, this is just over two million zlotys. Interestingly, this is more than PLN 1.6 million less than if Szczecin Trams had purchased energy with the entity that offered the best subsequent offer in the tender

In the future, the city wants to make more intensive use of the energy produced by the incinerator. This will enable Szczecin to achieve energy self-sufficiency. Ultimately, up to 65 per cent of the energy required for the operation of the city’s units and institutions may come from the EcoGenerator. The remaining 35 per cent is to be obtained from the city’s photovoltaic farms or other alternative energy sources

The Waste Neutralisation Plant Sp. z o.o., or EcoGenerator, is located on Ostrow Grabowski in Szczecin and has been in operation since December 2017. It is a plant that produces electricity and heat through the controlled combustion of municipal waste in an environmentally safe way. 2022 was the first full year for the EcoGenerator in which the plant operated at its maximum capacity. This means that it accepted almost 176,000 tonnes of waste for thermal disposal during this time

With the waste delivered in 2022, the EcoGenerator produced more than 88.5 thousand MWh of gross eclectic energy and more than 737 thousand GJ of thermal energy. After subtracting the energy for the plant’s own needs, the electricity production was 65.5 thousand MWh and 726 thousand GJ of thermal energy. The electricity generated from the waste in 2022 went to the National Grid and the heat to the Szczecin District Heating Company, reports the Waste Disposal Plant

Waste collected from the Szczecin City Municipality accounts for 70 per cent of the waste that the plant handles. The remaining 30 per cent of the waste is commercially acquired waste. The company notes here that the waste that goes to EcoGenerator comes exclusively from the territory of Poland

source: EcoGenerator

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