Pemuco Chile

Several fuels. One secure energy supply.

For a major German sugar producer, a biomass CHP plant was built in Pemuco, Chile, to supply the production site with its own energy. The plant delivers process steam for production and electricity for island operation, allowing the site to organise its energy supply largely independently of the public grid.

The new plant had to be able to use different fuels: shredded wood from pine, poplar and eucalyptus, plus up to 20% hard coal and biogas. It had to handle these fuels flexibly while ensuring a reliable self-supply.

The site conditions added a further challenge: the region is highly prone to earthquakes. The energy centre therefore also had to be designed for high seismic loads.

An energy centre that intelligently combines several fuels.

Kablitz built a biomass CHP plant with a vertical-pass boiler and a firing system that can combine different fuels. The shredded wood is transported to the firing system via a conveying and fuel system. In addition, hard coal can be added in metered quantities from a separate coal bunker.

Biogas is also used for energy: a dedicated burner feeds the biogas directly into the boiler process.

Energy for an independent production site

Heat and electricity from one common energy source.

The power plant generates up to 66 t of steam per hour and thus provides the process energy required for production. At the same time, it generates electricity for the site's island operation. The energy supply is therefore not solely dependent on the availability of the public grid.

Built for extreme conditions

When safety allows no compromises.

Pemuco lies in a region with high seismic activity. The boiler was therefore designed as a suspended structure. This design allows even strong movements and vibrations caused by earthquakes to be absorbed safely – a plant that is equal to the particular conditions on site.

Independent energy supply from flexible fuels.

With the new biomass CHP plant, the production site can generate its process energy and part of its electricity supply itself.

• Self-supply of energyProcess steam and electricity are generated directly at the production site.
• Island operationThe power supply can be operated independently of the public grid.
• Flexible fuel useShredded wood, hard coal and biogas can be used according to the site's requirements.
• More from biomassWood residues from pine, poplar and eucalyptus become valuable energy for production.
• Designed for the siteThe suspended boiler design takes the region's high seismic loads into account.