Alstom receives order for AmStar 888® corrosion protection at Austrian waste-to-energy power plant

Alstom in cooperation with installation partner FMT [1], has been commissioned by LINZ AG STROM of Austria to apply AmStar 888® corrosion protection to the steam generator of the Linz-Mitte waste-to-energy power plant. The order represents this products market entry in Austria.

The AmStar 888® protective coating counteracts the weakening of pressure parts and membrane walls caused by chlorine-induced corrosion in the boiler of the waste processing plant. Furthermore, the material is quicker to apply than alternative solutions. Together, this means that the intervals between scheduled inspection outages can be extended, while the outages themselves are made significantly shorter, contributing to reducing maintenance costs. Application at the Linz-Mitte plant will take place over a three-day period in March.

A secure supply of energy and proper disposal of waste and wastewater are key areas of expertise for LINZ AG, explains Josef Aichinger, Head of Power Plant Maintenance at LINZ AG STROM. Our waste processing plant is at maximum capacity and thus is highly efficient. Since unscheduled downtimes have a negative impact on availability and increase maintenance costs, process optimisation is extremely important to us. For this reason, we opted for the tried-and-tested corrosion protection from Alstom.

The Linz-Mitte waste-to-energy plant has been operational since 2012 and is the most recent addition to LINZ AG STROMs power plant fleet. With this power plant, the proportion of district heating generated from non-fossil fuels will increase from the current figure of 17% from the biomass co-generation plant to approximately 40%. Each year, the plant is designed to re-use roughly 200,000 tonnes of processed waste and around 50,000 tonnes of sewage sludge produced by the Asten sewage treatment plant.

The AmStar 888® corrosion protection process can significantly extend the service life of the pressure parts in the plants circulating fluidised bed boiler. In areas where these pressure parts are subject to erosion, AmStar 888® can be applied in a layer of the necessary thickness and can be used to achieve a pre-defined target service life. The coating can be applied directly to pre-damaged tube material in the boiler, thus avoiding the need to replace these pressure parts. Thanks to the high level of overall economic competitiveness, the process makes a significant contribution to reducing maintenance and power generation costs.

AmStar 888® corrosion and erosion protection has already proven its worth in over 260 projects in more than 130 different steam generators worldwide. The protective coating is suitable for biomass co-generation plants, waste processing plants and the paper industry.

¹FMT = FERRO-Montagetechnik