What Is Cogeneration | What is CHP Plant

 

What is cogeneration?

Cogeneration may be a very efficient technology to get electricity and warmth . It is also called Combined Heat and Power (CHP) as cogeneration produces heat and electricity simultaneously. Cogeneration supplies currently 11% of electricity and 15% of warmth in Europe. Using a fuel to simultaneously generate heat and electricity with one unit is more efficient and cost-effective than generating heat and electricity separately in two different units. The technology offers the following benefits for both its users and our society.

CHP Plant

Increased energy efficiency

Cogeneration is up to 40% more efficient than the separate generation of warmth and power.

Loweremissions

Cogeneration saves per annum 200 milion tonnes of CO2 in Europe because of being very efficient. This equals the total emissions of 42.5 million passenger cars or 2.6 million trucks.

Reduced energy costs

Users of cogeneration enjoy higher efficiencies and thus need less fuel to hide their heating and electricity demand.

Supporting renewable energy

Cogeneration can run on any renewable fuel and is the most cost-effective way of using renewable fuels. Currently, 27% of fuels utilized in cogeneration in Europe are renewable, mainly biomass and biogas.

Empowered businesses and citizens

Cogeneration comes in all sizes, from 1kW to nearly 1GW. It is fit supply heat and electricity to all or any sorts of users, from one household to an outsized industrial complex or entire town.

Enhanced energy system resilience

Cogeneration can generate the precise amount of electricity and warmth needed at a particular time during a certain place. This brings flexibility and resilience to an energy system which has to cope with a growing number of intermittent renewables such as solar and wind power.

Reduced transmission and distribution costs

Cogeneration generates electricity and heat at the spot. Both the last user and the system are less trusted to take electricity from the co-generation user grid to avoid grid costs.

Reduced import dependency

High efficiency results in reduced fuel demand in Europe.