Introduction;

There are two CHP plants built using the same basic furnace design one in Aughrim Co Wicklow Ireland and the one being reported on in the Bekaa Valley Lebanon. The furnaces for both plants were fabricated and supplied by Crowley Engineering Cork Ireland. Crowley’s went on to build and test the complete plant in Aughrim, it was operated on Wood Chip supplied from the adjoining Woodfab sawmill. The Sicomo plant was further developed to burn recycled paper mill waste and then other waste streams. The major differences in the two systems are;

• The fuel handling/preparation, Sicomo has fuel preparation/shredding and grab loading. The Aughrim plant had no preparation and an automatic walking floor conveyor system.

• The Sicomo plant is designed to comply The EU WID i.e. combustion gas retention for 2 seconds at 850 C, requiring a much longer secondary combustion chamber.

• The Aughrim boilers are fire tube with a cassette water tube super-heater designed to work at 30 barg 500 C, 5,500 kg/hr. The Sicomo boilers are water tube with a cassette super heater designed to operate at 40 barg 430 C 18,000 kg/hr.

• As the Aughrim plant was burning virgin biomass it did not require emission abatement equipment or monitoring.

• The Aughrim Plant is fully with automated fuel handling and can run for prolonged periods unmanned.