Energy research and technology development

Valmet has an energy R&D center located in Tampere focusing on fluidized bed boilers, pyrolysis and environmental systems. The center combines Valmet's power technology knowledge with state of the art equipment.

The R&D center facilities include fluidized bed boiler, pyrolysis oil pilot, tube reactors, cold models, equipment for full-scale field testing and measurements.

The R&D center was established in 1990 and has done over 10,000 hours of pilot operations. Over the years the center has accumulated significant amount of fuel data. By testing 8,500 tonnes of various fuels we have test data for over 50 fuels and over 100 fuel mixtures for operation on fluidized bed boilers.

With the pyrolysis oil pilot plant, we have developed the process to produce bio-oil form wood residues from laboratory scale to industrial scale. The first industrial scale plant is in operation at the Fortum Joensuu power plant. With the pilot plant, we have produced 165 tonnes of pyrolysis bio-oil.

The pilot plant also serves in developing the environmental systems for flue gas cleaning. We have developed out of bag house filter solutions and electrostatic precipitator key components.

The R&D center serves both Valmet's own R&D work and our customers' development projects. The pilot sized plant is important in bridging the gap between laboratory tests and demonstration plant. At the center, we pilot new technologies and improve the competitiveness of existing technologies. The pilot equipment easily modified to test different technologies e.g. both bubbling and circulating fluidized bed boilers.