Danish JV for Green Conversion of Coal-fired Plants

Cleantech developer Aalborg CSP will supply its header-coil heat exchanger for steam generation and molten salt circulation system for the Kyoto Group project for a thermal energy storage to be established at Aalborg Forsyning’s green test center at the Danish city of Aalborg.

Electricity from, say, wind turbines, will be stored in a modular storage solution, after which the energy, on demand, will be converted back to steam to be used for green district heating and potentially for green power production for the residents of Aalborg, Denmark.

The PTXSALT plant in Aalborg will be the first of its kind in Northern Europe, however, the molten salt technology has been utilized within the CSP (Concentrated Solar Power) industry for plants in Spain, the Middle East, and the US for decades. Experience from existing molten salt storage and header-coil equipment has proven the technology to be scalable, more economical, and bankable compared to other large scale energy storage technologies commercialized to date, believe the companies.

Kyoto Group and Aalborg CSP will work on their Danish HeatCube system, aiming at storing excess green electricity in a thermal battery with molten salt (PTXSALT), and generating steam when energy is needed in terms of district heating for the city.

“The Aalborg CSP header-coil heat exchanger technology is designed to withstand high pressure, high duty, and transient operation. Moreover, the technology meets the large requirements for thermal performance as well as the requirement for a fast ramp-up when needed. Finally, the technology is the only existing heat exchanger type with high long-term reliability and efficiency under cyclical load conditions, which is a critical point of focus for the PTXSALT plant,” states Aalborg CSP.

Rather than demolishing all coal-fired power plants in both Europe and globally over the next decades, Aalborg CSP expects a trend for the coming years with conversions of existing coal fired plants into being profitable producers of green and sustainable energy streams such as electricity and heat as products.

For Kyoto Group, the project developer and owner of the PTXSALT thermal energy battery plant, this is their first commercial project using the modular HeatCube technology. The HeatCube technology is said to be a scalable PTXSALT storage solution that can support the transition towards a green and sustainable energy sector – both for industrial size plants and for utility scale projects.

“Aalborg CSP was the natural choice for us when looking for a partner for the project at Nordjyllandsværket. Their significant experience with thermal engineering and the ability to deliver a heat exchanger system for steam solutions tailored for the HeatCube has already impressed us at Kyoto Group,” says CEO Christopher Kjølner from Kyoto Group.