Modernisation of the Acea cogeneration plant at Tor di Valle (Rome) – implemented by a consortium specially created by Cefla and General Electric – has been completed ahead of schedule. The thermal energy produced by the power plant will be conveyed into district heating systems serving some 40,000 local residents, while the electricity it produces will power the waste water treatment plant or be fed into the grid.
The new Acea district heating power plant features two J920 FleXtra cogeneration units and three auxiliary boilers (with relative systems) supplied by GE and installed by Cefla Plant Solutions. The latter developed all the engineering aspects of the site, handling management of the project, provisioning and civil works infrastructures. The engines will produce 19 MW of electrical power and about 16 MW of thermal power, ensuring an efficiency of over 80%. The three auxiliary gas-fired boilers produce 70 MW of thermal power to ensure coverage during peak demand. Installation of the two high-efficiency J920 FleXtra CHP (combined heat and power) solutions will allow the plant to cut CO2 emissions by 16,000 tons.
Cefla and General Electric will continue their teamwork with Acea by supplying long-term assistance for the smooth running of the two cogeneration engines. They’ll also aid the balancing out the energy supply by incorporating a thermal energy build-up and recovery system; this will ensure a continuous supply of heat without having to run the engines during periods of low consumption or when enough electricity is already available from renewable sources.
