The generation of both district heating and electricity almost entirely from waste makes the Dåva CHP (combined heat and power) plant extremely energy efficient and environmentally sustainable. Its renewable sources include sorted waste and forest industry residues.
Dåva is at the heart of Umeå’s district heating supply and is northern Sweden’s largest power plant based on solid fuel. The Dåva area has two CHP plants that use advanced filtering systems to minimise emissions, making Dåva a leading innovator in combining energy efficiency and low environmental impact. The plant is located at Dåvamyran industrial landfill, 9 km north-east of Umeå city. The plant is owned by municipal company Umeå Energi.
Heating for 18,000 homes
Dåva 1 opened in 2000 and is one of the world’s most energy efficient and environmentally friendly facilities, using waste as its main fuel. The plant produces electricity, district heating and district cooling from sorted waste and forest industry residues. As well as it highly advanced filtration system that minimises emissions, the plant also recovers heat from the flue gases created in the process. Generation from Dåva 1 can heat about 18,000 average-sized homes for a full year and produce electricity to supply approximately 6,500 homes.
Next-level environmental performance
In 2010, Dåva 2 was built to meet the increased demand for district heating as result of the rapid growth of Umeå city and district heating becoming the first choice for new buildings. Another reason for establishing Dåva 2 was the environment. The new facility has dramatically reduced the proportion of oil in Umeå Energi’s fuel mix and has also improved both environmental performance and security of supply in overall heat generation. Dåva 2 uses biofuels like logging residues, wood chips, bark, sawdust and peat. The fuels mainly come from the region, which contributes to jobs in the local forestry and transport industry. Dåva 2 is the largest environmental investment in Umeå’s history.
International attention
The Dåva facility has attracted a lot of attention internationally and receives numerous visitors every year. Industry workers, government ministers and international delegations come here to learn more about the facility and take advantage of the plant’s unique expertise and experience in using sustainable waste and CHP generation.
Facts and figures
Dåva 1
Start year: 2000
Output: 65 MW (55 MW district heating, 10 MW electricity)
Fuels: Household and industrial waste, forest residues
Incineration capacity: 20 tonnes/h (equivalent to approximately 65 MW)
Degree of purification: 99.5 percent for acidified gases, 99.5 percent for particle-bound contaminants
Dåva 2
Start year: 2010
Output: 105 MW (75 MW district heating, electricity 30 MW)
Fuels: Biofuel
Type of boiler: Fluidized-bed combustion boiler
Boiler efficiency: 88–89 percent
Overall efficiency: 95 percent (including condensation)
