Automation technology at coal plant in Finland

Metso has received automation technology orders from SSAB Europe and Raahen Voima in Raahe, Finland. Metso will supply automation for the Raahe steel mill's new blast furnace pulverised coal injection process and for Raahen Voima's power plant modernisation to increase safety and reliability.

The Raahe steel mill is currently replacing the use of heavy fuel oil with a pulverised coal injection process in its blast furnaces. The process equipment needed for coal grinding, drying and feeding will be supplied by Claudius Peters Projects GmbH, Germany.

Raahen Voima is currently building a boiler plant that will be equipped with Metso's automation systems and solutions.

Metso's delivery consists of a Metso DNA automation system, a safety system, an information system and an extension to the existing Sensodec machine monitoring system. Field device condition monitoring is also included in the delivery. Blast Furnaces 1 and 2 already run with Metso's automation. System installation will take place in May 2015 and the coal injection process startup is scheduled for the autumn of 2015. The order is included in the Q2 2014 orders received by Metso.

Automation for new boiler plant and turbine

Raahen Voima is also modernising its power plant that provides electricity and steam to the Raahe steel works. The company will replace the older of its two power boilers with a new Valmet-supplied boiler plant, which has a steam capacity of 141 MW and a fuel capacity of 152 MW. A new turbine will be supplied by Power Machines.

The entire power plant area is widely controlled with Metso DNA. Here pictured is the 65 MW steam turbine that features Metso's automation and safety systems after modernisation.

Metso will supply an extension to the power plant's existing automation system to cover the new boiler plant and the turbine plant. An integrated automation system in the power, combined with a common user interface, makes operation simpler. Additionally, with the distributed control system and turbine automation in the same system fieldbus, system integration is trouble-free.

"The DCS investment was made on economic and technical grounds. Also the customer's earlier good experience with Metso's automation and past high system availability of over 99.95% were important," said Olli Koivumäk of Metso.

Metso's delivery scope consists of a Metso DNA automation system for the boiler plant and the turbine, a safety system, Metso DNA Machine Monitoring and Field Device Manager for field device condition monitoring, among others.

System startup will take place during 2015. This order is included in the Q3 2014 orders received by Metso.

Adapted from press release by Sam Dodson

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/power/30102014/automation-technology-at-coal-plant-in-finland-1508/