RJM announces today that it has secured a major project to supply new combustion technology, including CFD combustion analysis and ultra-low NOx gas burners to upgrade a power plant in Spain.
The two unit, 922MW Aboño power plant is located near Gijon, Asturias in Northern Spain and currently fires a mix of coal and Blast Furnace Gas (BFG) sourced from a nearby steelworks. The project is for Unit 2 to cease firing coal and for it to be converted to fire a blend of natural gas, BFG and, later on, hydrogen.
In environmental terms, the conversion of Unit 2 will reduce emissions of particulates and sulphur oxides by almost 100% and nitrogen oxides by 80%. In terms of CO2 emissions, the average reduction will be 30%, depending on the volume of BFG being co-fired. An additional environmental benefit is that by utilising BFG as a second fuel, a further one million tonnes of CO2 emissions will be avoided.
RJM will be supplying 30 new low NOx gas burners to replace the existing coal burners, and 12 conversion kits to allow the BFG pilot burners to fire natural gas. RJM’s scope also includes detailed CFD studies of the furnace and combustion air systems to ensure that the new fuel mix will not impact negatively on MW output, reliability or efficiency.
Supporting power generators of all types – no matter what the fuel, the combustion technology or the size of the plant – and enabling them to transition to lower carbon generation is a key part of RJM’s global strategy. The driving force is to deliver exceptional improvements in performance across every plant parameter, making enduring changes that are efficient, reliable and cost-effective.
Commenting on the project win, John Goldring, Managing Director of RJM said, “We know our track record of successfully completing similarly complex power plant upgrade projects and coal to gas conversions stood us in good stead with the customer and we are delighted to be working with Wood and Duro Felguera on this major contract.
“Looking ahead, we aim to develop further emissions reduction and decarbonisation projects on coal-to-gas conversions of other utility boilers in Europe, the USA and the rest of world,” he confirmed.
Work is well underway on the project and it is planned that the upgrade will be completed by July 2025.
-ENDS-
Notes for Editors:
The Aboño plant selected Wood, the global engineering consultancy and industrial boiler OEM (from their Foster Wheeler heritage), to source the most suitable technology provider to upgrade the plant and deliver the most appropriate solution to enable the plant to carry out the conversion, under an award to Duro Felguera as the main EPC contractor.
Following a complex tendering process and submissions by a number of multi-national burner technology companies, Wood short-listed and then selected RJM to deliver its innovative combustion and emissions solution to the Aboño plant.
Additional online resources:
EDP and Corporación Masaveu award Duro Felguera the Aboño gas conversion project – Duro Felguera