CO-GENERATION

What is co-generation?
WHAT IS CO-GENERATION? Bottoming
Co-generationcycle at a paper mill (open-cycle
Co-generation, an efficient method of
Co-generation Heat
gasisturbine)
produced in the form of high-pressure
generating energy,production
is the of electricity in
involves producing
combination with steam and used in the industrial process.
electricity at theanother
same time industrial process.
as creating heat
Co-generation plants are often thermal TheCo-generation
leftover heat is uses
thenthe heat from
recovered andanused to
and steam for industrial purposes, such as
generators installed in industries open-cycle
make steam that gasdrives
turbine in a boiler,
a turbine which
and generator.
drying timber in kilns or drying that
milk produce
powder. or
require heat. In effect, the heat is used twice produces steam. This steam is used in
In large
once factories,
to generate wood waste,
electricity gas or
and once forcoal
another two ways:
Topping cycle
is usedresulting
purpose, to generate in aelectricity for the
very efficient factory.
process This works the other way around. First, electricity is
to dry fres hly milled pa per in the fa ctory
Surplus electricity can be exported to the
overall. generated, usually through an open-cycle gas
to turn a s tea m turbine
National Grid. Co-generation can produce turbine, then the waste heat is used to produce
both Zealand,
In New electricityco-generation
and hot steamplantsfor factory use.
are found The steam
steam turbine
for industrial drives a generator.
purposes.
in the wood processing, dairy and steel indus- The generator then produces electricity.
What types of co-generation are there?
tries. The power
Many paper stations
mill usesnowthe use
electricity
the more to efficient
run
In New Zealand, the main types of its business and
combined-cycle gasexports
turbines.the rest to thespeaking,
Technically
WHAT TYPES OF CO-GENERATION
co-generation are open-cycle gas ARE THERE? National Grid for
combined-cycle gaseveryone
turbines are to themselves
use.
Co-generation
turbines andsystems can work in one of two
steam turbines. examples of co-generation. First, gas is ignited.
Co-generation at a dairy factory
ways. It expands as it burns in a gas turbine connected
How is electricity generated through (steam turbine)
to an electrical generator, then the leftover heat
co-generation?
from
Somethisofprocess
the heat is used to make
produced by steam,
a dairywhich
factory
drives a steam
is used to turnturbine
waterand intoasteam.
secondThe generator.
steam
The second
turns generator
a turbine, is not
driving as efficient as
a generator. Thethe first,
but still produces
generator then electricity
produces from what could
electricity. have
The dairy
been waste
factory heat.
uses the electricity to run its business
and exports the rest to the National Grid for
WHAT ARE THE
everyone ADVANTAGES OF
to use.
CO-GENERATION?
What are the advantages of co-generation?
Co-generation makes use of excess heat, which
helps to improve the
Co-generation makesoverall
use efficiency
of excess of the
heat,
process.
which Co-generation
helps to improve canoverall
save businesses
efficiency of
money, as they can generate
the generator. In comparison to othertheir own electricity
ways
and steam supply at the same time. They
of generating energy, its more efficient, as it can
sometimes
uses the heat also and
sell electricity to the national
energy generated grid,
by fossil
THE CARTER HOLT HARVEY PULP AND PAPER MILL IN KINLEITH which
fuelsprovides
or woodpowerwaste.to New Zealand.can save
Co-generation
IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A CO-GENERATION SCHEME.
SOURCE: GENESIS ENERGY businesses money as theyre generating their

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own electricity and steam supply. ACTIVITY
What are
WHAT AREthe
THEdisadvantages
DISADVANTAGES OF Small
For group that
industries brainstorming
require heat activity.
for drying, such
of co-generation?
CO-GENERATION? as the
Thidairy
nk of industry
a t lea s t owhen
ne otdrying
her busmilk
inespowder,
s tha t
Even though co-generation produces electricity it can be economical
could to produce
use co-generation. Looktheir own
at the
Even though co-generation uses electricity
efficiently on site, it burns non-renewable electricity
types ofbywaste
running theabusiness
small generating
is creatingplant,
generated efficiently in the business, it can
sources that produce carbon dioxide emissions. andandthenhow
to use
thethe
wastewaste heatbe
could from the
used to
burn non-renewable sources which produce
turbine for theenergy.
generate drying process.
carbon dioxide emissions.
HOW CAN CO-GENERATION BE USED IN Do you think co- ge ne ra tion is a n
NEW
How ZEALAND?
is co-generation used in New Zealand? ACTIVITY
environmentally-friendly type of
Although co-generation is a relatively new Small groupgeneration?
energy brainstorming activity
Explain.
Co-generation is a relatively new technology
technology in New Zealand, several of our Dis cus s whether s ma ll or medium s ized
in New Zealand. It has the potential to be Think of at least one other business that could
primary industries are being made more enterprises could pool their resources
used throughout the country due to our use co-generation. Look at the types of waste
efficient by installing co-generation plants. and use co-generation as a method of
primary industries, such as dairy, paper, the business is creating and how the waste
For example, a timber mill or paper mill might generating energy.
and steel production. could be used to generate energy.
burn waste wood scraps to produce heat. This
might
A few be used to driveschemes
co-generation a steam operate
turbine and
in Do you think co-generation is an
generate
New Zealand today. The Fonterra Plant in heat
electricity for the mill. The excess environmentally-friendly type of energy
from the turbine
Te Awamutu andmight be further
the Carter used, such as
Holt Harvey generation? Explain.
for drying
Pulp purposes,
and Paper Mill while any electricity
in Kinleith are two that is Discuss whether small- or medium-sized
not neededCombined,
examples. could be fed into co-generation
these the national grid. enterprises could pool their resources and use
This would
plants havebea an extremely
capacity efficient
of 67MW, use of
enough co-generation as a method of generating
what mayto
capacity have been
power unwanted
60,000 homes. waste. energy.

The steel industry uses huge amounts of

energy in its iron melters. In the steel-making
process, there is a lot of waste gas from the
furnaces. In a co-generation plant, this waste
gas would be recovered and burnt, and the
heat used to produce steam to drive a steam
turbine and generator.

SUPPORTING RESOURCES
- Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority: www.eeca.govt.nz
- Ministry of Economic Development: www.med.govt.nz
- Genesis Energy: www.genesisenergy.co.nz