The world’s largest operating straw fired plant, the 36 MW Elean power station in Ely, Cambridgeshire, has come on line. It is also the UK’s first such plant. It will generate 270 GWh/y, enough to supply 80 000 homes. The project was developed by EPR Ely, a partnership between Energy Power resources and Cinergy Global Power. FLS miljo built the plant and will operate it until 2013. The project got under way in 1998, despite a number of setbacks.
The technology at Elean power station has already been used in a number of plants throughout Europe. The boiler plant is a typical high temperature high pressure naturally circulating water tube construction and is subject to stringent noise level controls. The waste ash by product forms the basis of an organic agricultural fertilizer. Power is exported from the site to an Eastern Electricity substation via a 33 kV connection. The boiler plant, which is built in amongst its storage barns for blending in purposes, will consume around 20 000 tonne per year collected from farms within a 50 mile radius. Elean can also burn other biofuels and up to 10% natural gas.
