BKK Varme Improves Steam Turbine Reliability at Its Heating Plant in Norway with Metso's Control System


BKK Varme has chosen Metso to supply a complete control system retrofit for steam turbine and generator line 1 at its Fana combined heating and power plant on the western coast of Norway, 15 km south of Bergen. By increasing turbine reliability and availability, the rebuilt automation will contribute to reliable district heat deliveries in the area.



“The old monitoring and control system dates from 1998 and has not been upgraded or renewed since that time. Because of its age, there is concern regarding the availability of spare parts and expertise in the event of a breakdown, which could lead, in turn, to loss of production,” says BKK Varme’s Torkjell Tolo, who is responsible for the site.



BKK Varme owns the district heating system in Bergen, including the Fana heating plant. The turbine system and the heating plant are run by BIR, one of Norway’s leading waste management companies. The order now continues the good cooperation between the three companies. In 2010, Metso supplied an automation system upgrade and expansion to the Fana plant’s waste incineration lines 1 and 2 and has since provided the plant with services under a service agreement.



New automation on the turbine and generator line will replace the PLC system that has reached the end of its life cycle. It will be integrated with the existing Metso DNA automation system and be run from the same control room. Startup is scheduled for March 2014.



Metso’s delivery scope also includes an operator interface, a redundant Metso ACN process station for turbine control, turbine protection 2/3 voting with three separate ACN MR compact controllers, overspeed protection, new speed sensors for field instruments and an operator panel for local operation by the turbine. New generator excitation, protection and synchronization will be installed as well.



Metso offers a total concept for steam, gas and hydro turbine controllers, including machine monitoring, information management and the possibility to integrate them into a plant-wide distributed control system. Having engineering tools in the control system creates a deeper view into the process.



The concept includes many powerful benefits, one of which is the possibility to perform an online IO exchange on a running control system and machine without jeopardizing the operation of the unit. This saves on downtime costs and lost production while boosting revenues. Other advantages include remote access by Metso specialists for online analysis and support. Metso supports its control systems for at least 25 years and provides them with new software that communicates with the existing system without any need to redesign or re-engineer.



BKK AS is one of Norway’s largest companies in the production, wholesale and distribution of electric power. It owns and operates one of the largest distribution networks, 31 hydropower plants and 2,500 km of fiber network in Western Norway, in addition to building and operating district heating networks in Bergen. BKK has over 1,100 employees and is owned by Statkraft (49.9%), Bergen municipality (37.75%) and 16 rural municipalities (12.35%). www.bkk.no.



The Automation segment’s process automation and flow control solutions meet the growing needs of Metso’s customer industries to improve production process efficiency as raw materials and energy sources become scarcer and their costs increase. Our global network of service experts delivers business solutions to our customers that improve their productivity, lower risks and optimize costs. www.metso.com, http://www.twitter.com/metsoautomation.



Metso is a global supplier of technology and services to customers in the process industries, including mining, construction, pulp and paper, power, and oil and gas. Our 30,000 professionals based in over 50 countries deliver sustainability and profitability to customers worldwide. Expect results. www.metso.com, www.twitter.com/metsogroup.



For further information, please contact:

Mats Danielsson

Sales Manager

Scandinavia, Automation, Metso

mats.danielsson@metso.com

Tel. +46 54 17 1201 or +46 70 317 1200

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