Ramboll helps Lynemouth Power Station with energy transition
The Lynemouth Power Station will be converted from a coal- to biomass-fired power plant, as part of a wider drive towards sustainable energy in the UK. The LPS recently announced that it has hired engineering consulting firm Ramboll to manage the plant’s conversion, as well as a new newly constructed biomass import terminal at the Port of Tyne.
Lynemouth Power Station (LPS), situated near Newcastle upon Tyne, has been converting coal into electricity since 1972. The plant was originally built to support the aluminium at the adjacent Lynemouth Smelter, and was operated by Alcan. Times have moved on however, with the smelter closing in 2012 and the world moving towards sustainability, the plant is being reappropriated by conversion from coal-fired to biomass energy production.
The conversion will see the plant produce around 390MW primary from the combustion of wood pellets. The pallets, sourced primarily from the US and Canada, will be sustainably sourced. The key aim is to generate energy from excess, with the company committed to “both the environmental and social sustainability of the biomass that it uses.” It will use independent audit certifications from Green Gold Label (GGL) and Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP), with the pallets arriving from a newly constructed biomass import terminal at the Port of Tyne (Newcastle UK).
Ramboll has been hired to provide a range of services related to the conversion of the plant to biomass; the deal was partly won due to the firm’s early active in the early stages of project development. The firm’s new appointment sees it take a major role in the further development of the plant.
Ramboll will provide engineering consultancy services to the proposed plan, including project and programme management, expert design review, safety and site management, and co-ordination of several construction packages, managing cross-cutting interface issues for LPL. Mike Wheeler, Vice Director of Ramboll’s Power division, says, “Our ability to deliver the large-scale and expert resources required by Power sector clients to support such projects has been critical.”
