Nurseries & Glasshouses - Case Study

Polytechnik industrial biomass boiler
System Summary
Boiler type: 
Polytechnik
Fuel type: 
Wood Chip
Fuel store: 
Large open sided bunker
Our client is dedicated to maintaining their presence in the industry as leaders in the production and supply of quality bedding and flowering plants to garden centres, supermarkets and wholesalers.
 
It is vital that there is a reliable heat source to cope with the production of over 20 million plants per annum. The urgent need to source a much lower cost fuel, as well as the desire to dramatically cut CO2 emmissions, made the grower see the value of biomass heating.
 
Rural Energy was awarded the project to design, supply and install a turnkey biomass heating solution, which resulted in the largest single boiler installation by the company to date.
 
The 2MW Polytechnik stepped grate wood chip biomass boiler that was installed can burn fuel ranging in 20-55% moisture content and size of G100, which is much more lenient than most other biomass boilers. This was specifically desired as the client sources the wood chip from local tree surgeons, low value woodland residues and timber cut offs from wood-working factories in the area as well as their own waste produce.
 
The Polytechnik boiler and the two existing 5MW oil boilers are housed in a new plant room located within a specialist energy centre, taking up around 1/3 of the space. The remaining 2/3 is the fuel bunker space and additional fuel storage and processing area. The base of the bunker comprises an extremely robust hydraulically operated push floor feed system which transfers the chip to the edge of the fuel store where it drops onto a chain conveyor. From there it is delivered straight into the boiler’s hydraulic ram-stoker to feed it with fuel as required. The bunker can hold up to four days of fuel when the boiler is running at full output and another 15 days worth of wood chip is held in the adjoining fuel store.
 
The boiler is equipped with an automatic system to clean and remove ash from the heat exchangers and combustion grate.