The start-up and commissioning works in Kohtla-Järve

The specialists of "ECOPOWER" LLC started the start-up and commissioning works on the thermomechanical equipment of K-4 boiler under construction at Northern CHP of "VKG Energia" OÜ in Kohtla-Järve, Republic of Estonia.

Kohtla-Järve is the fifth largest city in Estonia in terms of area and population. There are quite large deposits of oil shale, which is sometimes called "solid oil", in these areas. The prime branches of the city’s activity are associated with oil shale, and "VKG Energia" OÜ is a leading company in oil shale chemistry (http://www.vkg.ee/rus).

The key business of the company is the production of shale oil based on the processing (pyrolysis) of oil shale. The process is accompanied by production of a significant amount of pyrolysis gases. Two different pyrolysis technologies are used in the production process: the Kiviter technology with a gas heat carrier and the Petroter technology with a solid heat carrier. Due to the differences in technologies, when the Kiviter technology is used, a gas with a very low calorific value (sometimes called "producer gas") is obtained as a byproduct. At the same time, when the Petroter technology is used, a gas with a very high calorific value (sometimes called "semi-coke gas") is evolved. These gases are used as the main fuel for the steam boilers of Northern CHP plant.

Commissioning of the new K-4 boiler is scheduled to be completed at the end of the current year.

27.04.2017