During this research project, the economy and efficiency of biomass power plants should be improved to become more technically efficient and cost-effective in the commercial operation (electricity and heat production). For this reason, all components/aggregates (e.g., gas engine) and resources (e.g., bed material) were subject to holistic optimization.

By implementing an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and a biomass drying unit it is possible, for example, to achieve a significant increase in efficiency η_el from 25% (Güssing power plant) to 33%.

This optimisation is applied now in the Senden power plant, which is currently under construction.

Beginning 2005
End 2008
Project coordinator VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Link http://www.vtt.fi/proj/bigpower/index.jsp?lang=en