Støvring CHP plant – Replacement of gas boiler for large-scale heat pump

Støvring CHP plant was a natural gas-fired CHP plant that was fueled by both oil- and coal. In order to increase the share of renewable energy, reduce GHG emissions, as well as, to ensure a low heating price for its consumers in the future, the Støvring CHP plant invested in a large-scale electric-powered air-to-water heat pump (2020). This developed the plant’s role in the electricity markets, from pure electricity producer to both, electricity producer and consumer in relevant markets. The heat pump delivers approx. 80% of the heat demand in a normal year (64,500 MWh/year). See parameters below.

Economic specs.

• Investment: approx. 42 mill kr.
• Yearly savings: approx. 5 mill kr.
• Payback time: 5,36 years

Technical specs.

• Installed capacity: 7,3 MW large-scale heat pump (air-to-water electricity driven)
• COP: varies between 3,5 max and 2,6 min
• Heat production: 64,500 MWh / year

Benefits

• GHG emissions: CO2 reduction from 21.674 ton CO2eq/year to 4.324 ton CO2eq/year
• Production costs reduced by 48% in 2020 and by 67% in 2021 (expected):
  • Gas: 332 kr./MWh heat
  • Heat pump: 171 kr./MWh heat (2020) and 108 kr./MWh heat (2021)

It’s worth mentioning that the replacement of natural gas boilers for a large-scale -heat pump contributes to increasing the security of heat supply in the city of Støvring because it has contributed (to a certain extent) to the mitigation of spiking heating prices due to the energy crisis in Europe.