Sealing System For Coal To Biomass Power Plant Transition

Phil Black - PII Editor 20/12/2017

299 1 minute read

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Sustainability is what it’s all about right now. And with that sustainability and care for the environment, new types of energy are undertaking a super fast advance. Wood pellets are a good example of this.

For example, right now in the English Port of Tyne, the Spencer Group is creating a pellet facility to supply the power plant in Lynemouth. The plant is being converted from a coal-fired station to one running on biomass.

This will bring about a dramatic reduction in NOx, SO2, dust and CO2 emissions, supporting the British government’s climate objectives.

Fire safety first

In the storage and transshipment facility Beele Engineering’s NOFIRNO sealing system for cable and pipe transits is used.

The system from the Dutch company is being deployed for around 50 cable and pipe transits (ø 225 mm) to the three major storage silos, and another 50 cable transits (ø 200 mm) to the engine control rooms. The location of a lot of the equipment at an underground depth of around 7 metres constituted a significant challenge. This causes not only leakage, but also serious damage to the equipment.

Fire-resistant and watertight

A solution was found in the combined fire-resistant, watertight, gas and smoke-sealed NOFIRNO system. For a number of transits, the mouldable rubber AQUASTOP is being used in addition to the system, to seal leaking pipe and cable transits, for instance in pumping stations.

Double durability

Choosing the NOFIRNO system has also made a further contribution to durability. The system has been subjected to arduous testing, with the lifespan of the system having been set at 50 years without any maintenance being needed to it. The exceptional quality is the result of work in Beele Engineering’s own laboratories, its own fire lab and an international team of engineers.