Norway’s leading supplier of steam and heat solutions, Parat Halvorsen, has made a major breakthrough in Germany’s rapidly developing renewable energy sector with the delivery of two of its unique 20MW 10kV electrode steam boilers to Infraserv Höchst in Frankfurt.

The contract, comprising complete boilers with control system, instruments and pumps, underscores Infraserv’s growing awareness of the potential offered by Germany’s developing market for secondary regulation. In addition, it reflects Infraserv’s pioneering work in realising a large scale electrical boiler plant on the 460 hectare industrial park in Höchst, where more than 90 companies employ around 22,000 personnel.

Overall, Germany’s wind energy sector employs around 118,000 people with the German Wind Energy Association representing approximately 1,100 manufacturers, suppliers and service providers, 2,100 operating companies and 15,000 investors. Installed renewable electric power contributed 22.9% to Germany’s total energy generation capacity in 2012, according to the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. More than 24,000 wind turbines across Germany account for 8.33% of overall generating capacity.

The Parat boilers are scheduled to become operational towards the end of April. They will be used for steam production to the 16 barg steam network and will be offered for balancing load in the secondary regulation market. The two new boilers are particularly compact and use a total of only 50m2 in the existing boiler house. 

Parat’s IEH electrode boiler has been designed and developed by the company’s in-house engineers and manufactured in its workshop in Norway for more than 20 years to a compact design of up to 50MW in one unit. It allows users to switch from cold to full load in less than 15 minutes, with 30 seconds from minimum to full load. Minimum load is below 2%. Significantly, there is no current to earth, no electrode wear and the boiler requires only minimum maintenance.

Power from wind and solar energy can be utilised in the boiler for steam or hot water purposes. Hot water can be stored during peak production periods, and utilised when needed in district heating.  

Parat’s remote monitoring system enables web-based remote monitoring of the boiler plant from anywhere in the world. This also includes online troubleshooting and upgrades of the control software from the Parat Halvorsen service centre in Norway.Another significant feature is that the electrode boiler system can be delivered in a complete turnkey boiler house.

“We made a major breakthrough after participating for the first time at Hannover Messe as an exhibitor last year,” says Parat Halvorsen Sales Director Martin Løvland. “It was a particularly busy exhibition, the world’s leading event for industrial technology, and it gave us the opportunity to demonstrate how our system generates power from renewable sources.

“We will be exhibiting again with a full scale electrode boiler at this year’s Hannover Messe from April 7 to 11”, says Mr Løvland.

Parat’s growing presence in the German market has seen the company win two new contracts, one complete plant for steam and one for hot water, which will be delivered this summer.