The multifuel power plant Avedøre 2 distinguishes itself by achieving a very high efficiency when operating on a fuel mix of 50% straw and 50% natural gas or biogas, converting the fuels into 50% electricity and district heating.

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When the power plant was completed in 2001, it was capable of supplying one-third of the entire electricity demand of Zealand.

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Just like waste-to-energy plants, surplus electricity can be stored as thermal energy and later converted back into power using the plant’s steam system.

Function of the thermal battery – see link

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The power plant, with an electrical capacity of 600 MW, consumes a total of 1,200 MW of fuel – for example, 600 MW of biogas and 600 MW of straw.

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Together with a thermal battery of 30,000 MWh, the plant can absorb large amounts of surplus electricity when renewable energy (RE) is available. In combination with a waste incineration boiler that stores energy in the battery, and with additional energy being stored from surplus electricity, the setup is unique – because the thermal energy from surplus electricity improves the electricity yield of the stored heat energy.

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When RE does not supply power to the grid, the plant can inject the thermal energy from the battery into the boiler system, allowing the plant to produce 600 MW of electricity using only 600 MW of fuel. Once the battery is depleted and electricity demand remains, fuel consumption increases to 1,200 MW to maintain output.

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For a region with a high level of RE deployment, where RE supplies more than 80% of electricity demand, the need for power plant operation is minimal, and the plant can operate for up to 48 hours at full load using only the energy stored in the thermal battery.

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The power plant also stands out by being able to start up and shut down quickly – an ideal feature for integration with highly variable RE generation.

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