Metso to renew automation

Jyväskylän Energiantuotanto Oy has signed an agreement with Metso for an extensive automation renewal project at its Rauhalahti power plant in Jyväskylä, Finland. Metso's delivery will take place in the spring of 2013. The plant is scheduled to start up in the autumn of 2013.

The production capacity of the Rauhalahti main boiler is 140 MW of district heat and 87 MW of electricity. The capacity of the district heat boiler is 40 MW. The plant runs on peat, wood fuel and coal.

Since its startup in 1986, the power plant has been controlled with a Damatic Classic automation system supplied by Metso. Combustion automation was upgraded to the Damatic XD system when the plant was converted to fluidized bed combustion. Now the complete plant automation system will be modernized to Metso DNA, which features the latest technology. At the same time, the old PLCs in the burners, ash handling and water treatment and sootblowing processes will be replaced with Metso DNA.

"During the whole life cycle of the plant, we have not had any shutdowns caused by the automation system," says Automation Specialist Matti Niemelä of Jyväskylän Energia.

The renewal project also includes a plant-wide energy management system, including multipurpose reporting applications as well as a fuel management system. Condition monitoring will be integrated with Metso DNA; it will also monitor the rotating equipment and predict its need for service.

The modernized automation system will have a connection to the Keljonlahti power plant that was started up in 2010. It is the company's main production facility and also runs with Metso's automation. As both of the plants will be connected to the Metso DNA user interface, the flow of information from one plant to another will be improved and joint control will be possible.

Jyväskylän Energiantuotanto Oy is part of Jyväskylän Energia Group, which with its subsidiaries produces, sells and transfers electricity, heat and water in its networks. It also sells electricity to other network owners. In 2011, the group's net sales reached EUR 185 million, and it employed about 250 people.