GE recently increased the output of a combined heat and power plant (CHPs) of REWAG, the Regensburg's energy and water utility company. REWAG has been using Jenbacher gas engines for the past 20 years. Seven Jenbacher CHPs provide REWAG's residential, industrial and commercial customers in and around Regensburg with a reliable and efficient supply of electricity (4.2MW) and heat (4.8MW). Using the waste heat from the engines, the CHPs achieve an overall efficiency level of up to 90%, making them not just economic, but environmentally friendlier too, as they help save 23,700t CO2 per year.
Bio-heat used to dry limestone
Since 2007 REWAG has been operating a Jenbacher CHP at the site of Walhalla Kalk, one of the largest and most modern limeworks in southern Germany. In the course of a regular overhaul, the CHP's engine was replaced to increase output by 100kW. REWAG will now also benefit from increased electricity yields from the biogas. While the electricity generated by the biogas-powered CHP is fed into the public grid by REWAG, the waste heat from the engine is used in the limeworks to dry out the unburned limestone.
More than an overhaul
A reliable energy supply and customer-oriented services are key success factors for both REWAG and GE. The speedy engine exchange procedure used by GE keeps downtimes to a minimum, ensures high operational reliability and improves plant output. In the Walhalla Kalk CHP, the J316 engine was quickly replaced by a completely reconditioned Jenbacher gas engine of the same type. That means REWAG now has an engine tailored precisely to its needs that achieves a 100kW higher output.
REWAG CEO Norbert Breidenbach is pleased with his company's partnership with GE: "Expanding decentralized power generation and the efficient use of raw materials is a key objective of REWAG. The Jenbacher CHP technology is really helping us achieve these objectives."
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