Press Release

Valmet and Turun Seudun Energiatuotanto Develop Fuel Chain Management for Biopower Plants

Valmet, together with its customer Turun Seudun Energiatuotanto Oy (TSE), is developing a comprehensive Industrial Internet-based set of production information systems and district heating network optimization solutions. This is being implemented for the first time as an integral part of TSE’s new multi-fuel power plant in Naantali, Finland.

One of the cutting-edge solutions currently being piloted is Valmet DNA Fuel Chain Management, an innovation designed to increase the efficiency of the growing biomass power market. The new tool helps the fuel management supply chain to become more efficient, accurate and transparent, from forest to boiler. The unique advantage of the Valmet DNA Fuel Chain Management is that the system allows fuel deliveries to be planned according to the plant’s forecasted production. The management of biofuel supply, including the amount and type of fuel to be delivered and the exact schedule, takes place through a cloud-based application. All information is available for the truck drivers via a user-friendly mobile interface.

Simplifying complex, cost-sensitive processes

“At biopower plants, fuel demand has to be estimated and deliveries scheduled from multiple fuel suppliers daily. This makes the business especially challenging. Valmet DNA Fuel Chain Management solution helps to simplify this complex and cost-sensitive process. This is a great tool for making modern biopower plants’ operations more efficient and profitable,” says Janne Koivuniemi, Product Manager, Automation.

Based on 30 years of experience developing distributed control systems, Valmet DNA Fuel Chain Management uses modern cloud services to manage data, optimize sourcing and plan logistics in the most optimal way. All applications in the new system are based on Valmet DNA and Valmet’s Industrial Internet services. The solution integrates Valmet DNA Energy Management system, Valmet DNA District Heating Manager and public cloud services, like electricity prices and weather forecasts, to enable better-informed decisions, with all information combined in one place in a remote cloud system.

The working principle of Valmet DNA Fuel Chain Management is straightforward. The system creates the fuel purchasing plan and distributes it to suppliers. This includes the exact amount, type of fuel and delivery time slot desired from each supplier. If needed, the operations manager can modify any part of the plan at any time.

First biopower plant to take advantage of cloud-based information

Turun Seudun Energiatuotanto Oy, the leading power supplier in southwest Finland, is among the first companies to implement Valmet’s new Industrial Internet fuel management solution. The innovative technology was selected for the company’s new, low-emission multi-fuel power plant launched in 2017 in Naantali, Finland.

By integrating digitalization of fuel chain management into its production, TSE will be able to take its fuel planning, system efficiency, boiler combustion and the logistics processes to an entirely new level. Today, the plant reaps many benefits from the optimal fuel chain efficiency, saving time and costs.

Valmet DNA Fuel Chain Management has allowed us to integrate every factor in the production of biopower into a single, controllable unit. Earlier, we had to conduct fuel ordering via email, which was a daunting challenge. Now with the new fuel chain management system in place, it has been made effortless,” says Sanna Alitalo, Operations Manager, Turun Seudun Energiatuotanto Oy.

Information about the customer Turun Seudun Energiatuotanto Oy

Turun Seudun Energiatuotanto Oy is owned by Turku Energia Oy, the cities of Raisio, Kaarina and Naantali, as well as Fortum Power and Heat Oy.

The new Naantali biopower plant launched in 2017 produces 396 MW of energy, with 146 MW of electricity and 250 MW of heat. It can run on wood, straw, peat, coal, refinery gas and recovered fuel (REF). At the time of commissioning, this biopower plant was the only one of its size in Finland, making it a very significant project.

In total, TSE produces approximately 2,300 GWh/a of district heat and 1,100 GWh/a of electricity. The total net sales of the company are about EUR 130 million.