PAS „Daugavpils siltumtikli“

 Daugpilis, Latvija

2022

DAUGAVPILS IS PREPARING FOR HYDROGEN BURNING 

The European Union plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990). USA by 50%. Shale natural gas is no longer considered a sustainable fuel, given the methane emissions during its production. The ultimate goal is zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Today, Latvia is actively introducing wood combustion, but building boilers on wood to cover peak loads is not a good idea. The payback period when the boiler is running two months a year is very long. What remains? Remodel existing gas boilers for hydrogen combustion.

The research company Bloomberg NEF has published a report “Hydrogen economy outlook”. It claims that hydrogen can be produced using solar and wind energy at a cost of 0.8 to 1.6 US dollars per kilogram till 2050. This is roughly in line with current natural gas energy equivalent prices (US$6-12/MMBtu). What is going to happen tomorrow? Gas pipeline systems and natural gas storage facilities will be used to transport a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen. At the same time, hydrogen is produced both using renewable energy sources and from natural gas at plants where they will capture and store carbon, which means they will work without carbon emissions.

Gradually, the proportion of hydrogen and natural gas will change towards hydrogen. Tests are now underway that show that mixing levels of 20% hydrogen are safe and do not require boiler design changes (Hy Deploy, UK). The tests concern pipelines, boilers and cooking stoves. The UK plans to ban the installation of boilers “not ready to burn hydrogen” in 2025. After this period, a burner for burning hydrogen and new automation must be installed in the boiler, since the hydrogen flame is not visible and does not generate an electrical signal to turn the burner on and off.

What is PAS "Daugavpils siltumtikli" doing with gas boilers today?

Due to the fact that today the cheapest "gray" hydrogen, during the production of which harmful emissions go into the atmosphere, costs $ 2 per kilogram (almost twice as much as natural gas), they maximize the efficiency of existing gas boilers.

PAS "Daugavpils siltumtikli" has announced an open tender to raise the efficiency of a gas boiler to 105% (according to the net calorific value of natural gas, then all efficiency values are given in the same way), while NOx emissions from natural gas operation should be reduced from 100 mg/Nm³ to 50 mg/Nm³.

The competition was won by UAB "Gandras Energoefektas". All customers‘ requirements to increase the boiler efficiency and reduce NOx emissions have been fulfilled. Achieved efficiency is 117% at a boiler load of 70% and 105% at a boiler load of 100%. NOx emissions at 100% boiler load decreased to 48 mg/Nm³. At the same time, the temperature of the return network water was 45°C, and the flue gas temperature was 30°C.

Today we have already built four such units in Daugavpils, Republic of Latvia, for boilers of 15 MW (2 units), 9.2 MW and 5.2 MW. All plants have confirmed the characteristics stipulated in the contract (efficiency and NOx emission levels). Now the customer is holding a tender for the purchase of a similar installation for a 20 MW boiler. This suggests that this equipment pays off and makes a profit. According to our customer, the payback period for such equipment is less than 6 months, keeping in mind that the price of gas in Latvia is lower than in Lithuania.