OREANDA-NEWS. WINGAS and E.ON Energy Projects are demonstrating that supply security and energy efficiency can go hand in hand. Today the two companies commissioned a new, high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) unit in Lubmin, Germany. The unit, which is located at the onshore gas-receiving station of the Nord Stream Baltic Sea pipeline, produces about 47 megawatts (MW) of process heat and about 39 MW of electricity. It can generate up to 200,000 MW-hours of electricity annually, enough to power 50,000 households.

The CHP unit in Lubmin sets new standards for operationally flexible distributed generation. It represents the first commercial application of a new, high-efficiency Siemens gas turbine which can be ramped up to full load in just ten minutes.

The Lubmin energy hub is an ideal location for a new gas-fired CHP unit. The Nord Stream pipeline ensures a reliable supply of natural gas. In addition, the turbine's waste heat will be used to reheat gas, which cools during transmission across the Baltic Sea, for onward transport on land. Cogeneration of power and heat enables the unit to be roughly 90 percent fuel-efficient. It therefore emits 40,000 fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide that would be emitted power and heat were generated separately. This reduction is roughly equal to the annual carbon emissions of 13,000 passenger vehicles.

“The new CHP unit in Lubmin is an efficient step into the future in several respects,” WINGAS Managing Director Dr. Ludwig Mohring explains. “It's an exemplary application of distribution generation technology. The unit produces power and heat right where they're needed, which will lastingly reduce the load on energy supply networks. In addition, the unit's unique operational flexibility is another example of how natural gas and natural-gas technology are helping to transform Germany's energy system.”

“The Lubmin CHP unit is not only a highly efficient example of distributed power generation. It also makes the transport of climate-friendly natural gas more efficient. The unit is part of our strategy to further expand our CHP business by deploying proven, efficient technology,” says Dr. Ingo Luge, CEO of E.ON Deutschland. “Distributed generation meets our customers' needs and is a key component of the transformation of Germany's energy system.”

“The Siemens SGT-750 gas turbine deployed in Lubmin is extremely fuel-efficient and thus both economical to operate and environmentally friendly,” says Thierry Toupin, CEO of the Siemens Energy Sector's Gas Turbine and Generators business unit. “It also has the shortest scheduled maintenance downtimes of any turbine in its class.”

E.ON Energy Projects provides power and heat generation solutions for industrial customers. It designs custom-tailored solutions, builds and finances the generating units, and operates them in partnership with its customers. E.ON Energy Projects has installed or helped install a total of more than 1,600 MWel of capacity.

WINGAS is one of Germany's largest natural gas suppliers and also operates across Europe in countries such as Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Its customers include municipal utilities, regional gas suppliers, industrial enterprises, and power stations.