Electric boiler project progressing on schedule at Suominen’s Nakkila plant

Suominen manufactures nonwoven fabrics in Nakkila for wiping and hygiene products as well as healthcare needs. High-temperature steam energy destroys microbes, ensuring the high hygiene level of the nonwovens. Thermal energy is playing an increasingly significant role in the energy consumption of the Nakkila plant as the share of sustainable products of the sales grows.

For more than 20 years, Adven has been a trusted energy partner for Suominen’s Nakkila plant, responsible for the site’s steam production. Building on this long-standing collaboration, the two companies jointly explored future energy production solutions that would ensure environmental sustainability, sufficient energy capacity, and competitive pricing. The result of the study was clear: building an electric boiler alongside the existing wood chip boiler offers the most sustainable, cost-efficient, and flexible solution for the future.

According to Adven’s Project Manager Mauno Hiirikoski, the building for electric boiler was completed at the end of April, and the construction site is now ready for the next phase. The construction phase proceeded as expected and in line with the schedule.

“The building reached its full height in February, after which the floor slab was poured and the walls and roof were installed. The pipe bridge connecting the new boiler to the existing wood chip plant’s steam pipeline is also complete,” he says.

From an occupational safety perspective, special attention must be paid to electrical safety in electric boiler projects. The building includes two electrical rooms designated for four transformers, control systems, and a lighting power distribution panel. The limitations and risks associated with electric current were considered already during the project’s planning phase.

“Access to the electrical rooms is restricted in accordance with statutory requirements. Protective measures have been implemented to a stricter standard than regulations require to minimize the risk of electric shock, as high-voltage electricity can arc across considerable distances,” explains Hiirikoski.

The coming months at the site will focus on equipment installation, finishing work, and commissioning.
“We began the first mechanical installations inside the building in May. We are still waiting for two electrical transformers, as well as the electric boilers, which are arriving from the Netherlands. In the meantime, we’re paving the yard. During the summer, we’ll complete the building’s exterior cladding and finalize the yard area,” says Hiirikoski.

Test runs will begin once installation is complete in August, with the target of moving to full production in September. According to Hiirikoski, commissioning an electric boiler is a relatively straightforward process. Feedback from similar sites has been positive, with electric boilers considered easy to use and quieter compared to traditional biomass boilers, which tend to be more complex and noisier.

In the future, steam production at Suominen’s Nakkila plant will be optimized according to electricity market prices. The new electric boiler will alternate with the existing solid fuel boiler depending on hourly electricity rates.

When electricity prices are low, steam will be produced with the electric boiler. When electricity prices rise above the cost of producing energy with wood chips, the solid-fuel boiler takes over.

Boiler operation will be optimized using a control system developed by Adven’s automation experts. The system collects real-time data from the electricity market and adjusts boiler usage on an hourly basis. The principle is simple ─ energy is always produced using the most affordable option available.

More information:
Mauno Hiirikoski, Project Manager, Adven, tel. +358 40 637 8865

Read more:

Adven introduces electrification in the energy production at Suominen’s nonwoven plant in Nakkila, Finland