Making a power plant future fit - a tailor-made solution for BASF
As the site expands and develops, a BASF chemical park in Germany will have an increased energy demand. With a focus to become climate neutral until 2050. How can it grow more sustainably?
More efficiency, lower emissions
Today, the BASF site located in Schwarzheide, Germany, employs 3,500 people. The site is expected to grow and wants to enter new business fields, such as the production of battery material.
The site will face an increased energy demand but is focused to become sustainable as it grows. If BASF is to achieve its goals to become climate neutral, a change in energy policy is vital.
A combined-cycle power plant, built in 1994, supplies power, process steam and heat to the site. The modernization project is to be finished in 2022. Their modernized power plant will provide a power output of 110 MW and 200m³/h steam.It is now 10 percent more efficient and emits a more than 16 percent lower volume of greenhouse gases such as CO₂.
Sustainability is an issue. Sustainability is a growth engine for us, a huge opportunity.
Site Manager at BASF Schwarzheide, Germany
Learn more about this great customer story
Creating chemistry for a sustainable future
This is not just an end in itself, because BASF’s own customers, e.g. the automotive industry, signal a rapidly growing demand for eco-friendly products in their supply chain, too. The site's CCPP power plant ensures a flexible energy supply and was now modernized as a brownfield project.
While one power line ensured the uninterrupted power and heat supply of the site, the second power line was modernized. "An open heart surgery" as all project members describe the task.
Learn more about our solution offered
Flexible energy supply
Jürgen Fuchs, head of the management board BASF Schwarzheide, and Julie DeKeyser, head of infrastructure, talk about the challenge of a sustainable growth. How can a chemical park expand its business and grow in a climate-neutral way in the same time?
Modernization during full operation - an extremely demanding task
Watch the video to learn more.
Operating at the open heart
In 2019, BASF Schwarzheide engaged Siemens Energy to carry out a "brownfield exchange project". From 2020 to 2022, parts of the existing combined cycle power plant were modernized without interrupting ongoing operations. One of the two gas turbine lines were refurbished while the second gas turbine ensured the site's power supply.
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Our answers for BASF's challenge
Power plant upgrade:
A brownfield exchange project
+ 10% Efficiency
BEX Siemens Energy “Plug and Play” concept for replacement of existing gas turbines with brand-new Siemens units. A perfect match between old and new equipment to get a future proven design for at least 200 000 h.
Uninterrupted production
Existing interfaces are mandatory. All Siemens Energy solutions and components must be adapted to customer’s space limitations while the site runs under full production. All modernization measures follow strict time schedule.
Energy storage
Fossil-free black start capability
Security of supply
SISTART batteries for black start, independent from any grit. The battery system must have the power and capacity to provide three sequential black-starts of the newly installed SGT-800 gas turbine without recharging.
Increased power supply:
With a gas turbine SGT-800
Increased power supply
A newbuilt SGT-800 gas turbine ensures the following performance:
- Power output (MW) 57.0
- Gross efficiency (%) 40.1
- Heat rate (kJ/kWh) 8970
- Turbine speed (rpm) 6608
- Pressure ratio 21.8:1
- Exhaust mass flow (kg/s) 136.6
- Exhaust temperature (°C) 565
- NOx emissions 15 ppm (gas turbine only, while in the range of 60-100% load
Modifications and Upgrades:
The renewed generator (OEM)
Reuse of resources
Modernized generator, e.g. with revamped direction of rotation, optimizing the flow side inlet channels in the area of the rotor winding, adjusted dimensioning of individual components for higher currents and modified the base frame.
Condition based Service:
With a Long Time service contract (LTP)
Long term partnership
With a longtime service contract of 15 years for the gas turbine, we remain at the side of our customer BASF.
Siemens Energy has been using digital tools for a long time to remotely analyze and maintain turbo sets. We recently added modern Argumented Reality technology to these tools and can use them to remotely guide your maintenance staff in isolating and correcting errors. In this way, even in times of limited travel opportunities, we bring our OEM know-how to your system and ensure its availability.
"As an engineer, I couldn’t hope for a more exciting project"
Siemens Energy engineer
Siemens Energy engineers Eric Brückner and Bernd Künstler share some insights of the project in the video interviews.
Eric Brückner, Project Manager Generator, Siemens Energy
Bernd Künstler, Key Account Manager - BASF Group, Siemens Energy
“The cooperation was no less than excellent”
Project manager service operations, reflects the project execution
What is special about the industrial gas turbine delivered to BASF?
Supplied is a B5 model of the SGT800, which is best suitable for the customer requirements in this project, especially for the green approach BASF is looking for, both now and their future cooperation.
With the additional active orifice solution and lower TiT (turbine inlet temperature), we were able to reduce the original customer emission requirements even further, which makes this a highly sustainable product for future development within the carbon footprint visions.
How do you experience the project execution?
This is a highly advanced and complex project as there are existing plant interfaces that need to fit and be adapted to the Brownfield exchange product being supplied. The Re-use of the existing generator is a prime example of these challenges as it is now placed on the mirrored side of the GT requiring major modifications of the generator i.e. rotation direction. Detailed information of the generator beforehand was limited due to its age, so a large risk management effort was in place to secure handling of potential findings during the efforts in the workshop.
How did you experience the cooperation with BASF?
The cooperation with BASF on all project matters has been no less than excellent! We have mutually created a highly efficient and transparent communication throughout the project progress and duly included each other to always secure we manage risks and issues together and find the win-wins in all possible cases.
Decarbonization strategies for a lower CO₂ footprint
Decarbonization does not happen over night, it takes time. Learn more about our holistic approach.
