Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plants

The simultaneous generation of heat and power in a single process, and the potential for integrating renewable energy sources, makes combined heat and power (CHP) plants an energy-efficient and environmentally feasible solution.

Over the last 20 years, an increasing share of electricity has been produced at CHP plants. Today, more than 80% of Danish district heating is co-produced with electricity. In fact, the utilization of combined heat and power in Denmark exceeds that of any other country. There are three levels of combined heat and power systems in Denmark:
 

• Central electricity plants where surplus heat from electricity production is utilized in large district heating systems
• Existing communal district heating systems where the CHP has been installed to produce electricity based on heat consumption
• On-site installations where the CHP system produces heat directly for the owner/consumer, while the electricity is typically sold to the market

The widespread implementation and use of CHP in Denmark has generated an extensive acquisition of know-how. A typical CHP system now covers up to 70% of the annual heat consumption, while in most other countries a heat coverage of 30% is accepted as the maximum possible. Among the technologies used to achieve this advantage is intelligent control of heat storage tanks.