Polytechnik

At a time when the switch to renewable energies is essential, Adven in Valmiera – a city with a population of around 25,000 – has built one of the most modern biomass heating plants in Latvia. Supported by EU funds, the new 5 MW hot water plant replaces fossil fuels with regional forest residues. Particularly noteworthy is the built-in 1 MW flue gas condensation system with an electrostatic precipitator, which increases the plant’s efficiency to an impressive 100 %.

The switch to biomass brings numerous advantages: the plant avoides around 20,000 MWh of CO₂ emissions annually because natural gas is replaced by wood waste. This not only results in a significant reduction of the carbon footprint, but also in lower heating costs. Based on the gas price of 300 EUR/MWh in 2023, the current savings on heating costs amount to approximately 30 EUR/MWh.

The turnkey project, delivered by Polytechnik, includes a boiler system on a 1,700-square-metre site, including a boiler house, fuel storage and a wood chip supply system. Around 80–85% of the heat required during the heating period comes from the system. The fuel, sourced from regional forest residues, strengthens the local economy and avoids long transport distances.