The Finnish and Swedish Flame Research Committees continued their traditional Nordic co-operation on Tuesday and Wednesday last week (September 24th and 25th) by holding Joint Flame Days at Vaasa, Finland, situated on the Bosnian Gulf.

An excellent location, a good programme and around active 100 participants made for a very profitable technical meeting and an enjoyable occasion. Naturally the majority of participants were form Finland and Sweden but in addition there were delegates from Australia, Austria, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands.

There were 22 papers presented in parallel sessions including Modelling of biomass combustion, Fouling and ash behaviour, Black Liquor, Emissions, Fuel characterisation and ash behaviour and finally a session on New Techniques.

Louis Wibberly of BHP Billiton opened the Flame Days with an invited lecture on Coal in Sustainable Development and Peter Glarborg of DTU gave the closing lecture on the topic of Fuel Nitrogen conversion in solid fuel fired systems.

Alholmens Kraft – Biomass fired Power Station
Photo: Alholmens 

The final session was an excursion to the world largest biomass power station in Pietarsaari operated by Oy Alholmens Kraft fired with bark, wood chips, other bi-products from the wood refining process and peat. Polish coal is used as a supplementary fuel. The boiler is the largest CFB-boiler (Circulating Fluidised-Bed Boiler) in the world, from which the associated turbine produces 240 MW electricity, in addion to 100 MW process steam and 60 MW district heating.

For more information go to: http://www.alholmenskraft.com/