Eco Store & Biomass Fuel Transfer System
We acted as lead designer, architect and civil and structural engineer for the eco-store and biomass fuel transfer system at Drax Power Station. Project Phoenix is Drax Power Ltd.'s £240m innovative programme to convert 3 of its 6 generating units from coal to renewable, cost effective biomass material.
Key details
Project name
Eco Store & Biomass Fuel Transfer System
Client
Drax Power Limited / Shepherd Construction Ltd
Location
Drax Power Station, Selby
Services provided:
- Lead Designer
- Architecture
- Civil Engineering
- Structural Engineering
- CDM Co-ordinator
- Fire Engineering
Challenge
The biomass conversion programme depended upon the design and construction of a new fuel storage and handling facility with associated plant modifications to secure the maximum benefit from co-firing.
The challenges of the project included:
- Construction taking place on a working power station site
- The incorporation of complex and innovative process equipment within tightly constrained site and buildings
- Extensive fire prevention and suppression measures
- Co-ordination of specialist designers, contractors, sub-contractors, process engineers and their designs
Solution
There is an innovative and complex system required for fuel delivery, handling, storage and reclaim for the pelletised fuel. It is delivered to site by train and automatically unloaded as the train passes without stopping through a dedicated multi-level unloading building incorporating a 15m deep sheet piled basement.
The fuel is transported via a system of conveyers, supported on steel gantries to a maximum height of 65m, to a process building that screens the fuel to remove over-sized materials / contaminants and extract dust. The fuel is then conveyed to one of four 62m diameter, 50m high storage domes, each one capable of storing 135,000 tonnes of biomass fuel.
The domes consist of a durable waterproof fabric, inflated and sprayed internally with a lining of polyurethane foam insulation, followed by steel reinforcement and stabilising internal shell of sprayed concrete. The result is a weather-proof, condensation free and structurally strong store. As the fuel is combustible, the dome is fitted out with dust suppression and fire prevention systems.
Fuel is reclaimed from the domes via vibrating floor modules, fluidising the fuel so it drops through holes onto reclaim conveyors in to underground tunnels. The fuel is conveyed to a final sampling building before 2,800 tonnes per hour are transferred to the power station.
