A biomass solution in Tallinn, Estonia

The new Tallinn plant will be taking the use of biomass to a whole new level. With a heat rating of 49 MW and a power rating of 23.5 MW, the installation will consume about 700,000 cubic meters of renewable raw materials a year. Wood will account for about 90% of this volume and peat the remainder. To secure the supply of both feedstocks, a number of contracts have been signed with local businesses.

In addition to power, the new plant will generate heat for a 400-km district heating system serving nearly 280,000 Tallinn residents. At the October 2007 ceremony to lay the foundation stone, Kristjan Rahu, CEO of Dalkia's Estonian subsidiary Tallinna Küte, said, "We expect to produce 500 GWh of heat annually and up to 190 GWh of electricity."

At the ceremony, speakers emphasized the benefits of the new installation. It will post better environmental performance levels, with lower CO2 and SO2 emissions. It will offer an alternative to the use of Russian natural gas or the "abundant national resource" of shale oil.

And since timber conversion is four times more labor-intensive than any other energy source, the project is good for employment and promotes the development of silviculture. The plant is scheduled to come onstream in December 2008 with a workforce of twenty.