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FlexCHP

Within the FLEX-CHP project we investigate how biomass- and waste-fired CHP units can contribute to the safety of supply and to the network balance in Belgium.

Introduction

Wind and solar energy will be the dominant renewable means of electricity production of the future. Their intermittency increases the need for complementing flexible technologies such as energy storage (batteries), demand-side management and dispatchable production units. Traditionally biomass- and waste-fired CHPs are considered as ‘must-run’ facilities, i.e. running at constant output power. Our purpose is to identify possibilities to operate such CHPs in a flexible manner, and to calculate their contribution to the network balance.

Partners in the FLEX-CHP project are Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 2Valorise and Entras. This consortium combines expertise about system modelling, dispatch software and biomass combustion. In different work packages we will study the availability of biomass and waste for electricity and heat production. We will build dynamic models of CHPs with different flexibility options (such as heat storage or dynamic operation) and we will develop advanced dispatch algorithms to operate these facilities in an economically optimum way.

Progress

The project started in November 2022. Results will be shared as they become available.

We worked with Entras from the development of our business case to the contracting of our asset.

Value creation is their leading principle, this during each phase of the project.

Bart Wouters

Chief Operating Officer, Prayon

In the rich, complex and changing domain of the Belgian electricity market, it is comforting to have the opportunity to rely on well aware and highly skilled people, able to demystify the numerous challenges and propose optimised and tailormade industrial solutions.

Pierre Clerbois

Manufacturing Excellence - Belgium Energy Country Manager, Inovyn

J’ai investi dans un système durable. J’étais ravi de pouvoir encore l’améliorer avec Biogee.

I invested in a durable system. I was delighted to make it even beter with Biogee.

Jérôme Breton

CEO, Biométhane du bois d’Arnelle (BBA)