No Freezing in the Arctic Circle – Comfortable Living with Metso DNA
The partnership between Rovaniemen Energia and Metso started way back in 1995. Back then, the Suosiola power plant was being built in Rovaniemi, and the plant's automation system, Damatic XD, was ordered from Metso -which was known as Valmet at the time. Production Manager Pentti Mattanen has been working at the plant since its founding, so his partnership with Metso's Sales Manager Heikki Mylläri has continued for almost 20 years.
Pls feel free to ask for more information. We also appreciate your feedback in all automation related issues.
Rovaniemen Energia is based in Lapland and provides electricity and heating to the Rovaniemi area. In addition to Rovaniemi, the company also handles heating in Yllästunturi. Here inside the Arctic Circle, one must be prepared for extreme weather conditions. 2011 was a particularly challenging year in the energy market. In January, temperature fell all the way to -40 degrees Celsius, while during the summer they reached up to +30. In December, the temperature was surprisingly high, just -10 degrees.
| Energy production | Heating output, GWh | Electrical output, GWh |
| Power plant | 374,5 |  |
| Suosiola | | 165,5 |
| Water boiler | 69,4 | |
| KPA and oil centers | 72,6 | |
| Hydroelectric power | | 68,8 |
| TOTAL | 516,2 | 234,3 |
Figures from the 2011 annual report
Fuzzy logic ahead of its time
The automation and information system delivered by Metso along with process electricity, field equipment complete with installation and the upper-level fuzzy logic that was implemented a year later, all support the energy production process in extreme conditions.
Erkki Miettunen was part of the first collaborative project with Metso. Now retired, he remembers the two companies’ working partnership fondly. "It was a unique project, the kind that only comes along once in a lifetime." The adjustments were made with fuzzy logic, which was a not so well known concept back then, and as such was met with suspicion.
Kari Härkönen, who was the plant’s Production Manager at the time, made a good decision in choosing fuzzy logic, which is still used in the power plant today.
The operators' expertise and experiences in running the power plant in different conditions were recorded and modeled, while fuzzy logic was used to automate certain multipliers that had up to then been set manually. This was done to keep the plant running as optimally and efficiently as possible at all times. This also enabled the customer to standardize the operating styles of different operators.
District heating improves comfort of living
Pentti Mattanen describes the conditions within the Arctic Circle as challenging when it comes to heating distribution. "In Lapland, temperatures can vary wildly. Last year, the temperature fell all the way to -40 degrees Celsius. The weather has a clear effect on district heating sales. Our plant must be able to operate reliably at all times. The
Metso DNA automation system provides a good basis for process management and control in these conditions," says Mattanen. The plant area automated by the Metso DNA system also includes Suosiola I, a 50 MW oil-fueled water boiler, as well as a district heat battery. Everything is controlled from the same control room.
"Automation has come a long way during the last 10 years," says
Kari Tuomi, Automation Engineer, and continues: "Meanwhile the district heating grid has been continuously expanding. The district heating stations further away from the main plant are located 150 kilometers away in Ylläs and 20 kilometers away in Murola." Such long distances naturally ask for the remote use of automation. According to Tuomi, one of the advantages of remote operation is that the process can be monitored from a single office without the need of someone having to continuously visit the site.
According to Mattanen, Rovaniemen Energia’s customers are consumers who appreciate uninterrupted delivery of heating and electricity. For the end customer, district heating is an easy-to-use and constant form of heating. Such a reliable heating solution also enhances comfort of living. Since new accommodation is being built around the area, the demand for district heating is expected to rise. The latest district heating station built is located on Norvatie in Rovaniemi. This new station’s heating distribution is also controlled with the Metso DNA system.
Automation supports remote operation
Kari Tuomi says that using automation remotely has not presented any major problems. Metso DNA has been a reliable tool, and the integrated information system is used to gather valuable information to support decision making. This information is stored in an alarm history. Tuomi emphasizes that it is very important to investigate the events that lead to a fault and learn from them. Such information is significant; for example if excessive turbine vibration triggers an alarm, the fault might be misinterpreted. Thanks to the Metso DNA Alarm function, such events are listed for easy access.
Meanwhile the Metso DNA alarm analysis tool, Metso DNA Report Alarms and Events, utilizes the information collected from alarms and events. As a result, unwarranted alarms can be dismissed through statistical analysis, and the alarm functionality of the entire automation system can be enhanced so that major alarms are presented to operators only when they require corrective measures. This improves the efficiency of the entire plant.
Clean energy in a controlled way
"Air quality has significantly improved thanks to centralized heating. Before, almost every house had its own oil heating center with boilers that required constant maintenance and adjustments. Centralized heating is much easier to monitor and manage. The automation rate of the equipment is high and now we can manage emissions better," says Mattanen.
The guiding principle of Rovaniemen Energia is Energy and vitality. The company strives to develop itself together with its skilled staff and is committed to responsible and customer-oriented operation. The company has an environmental policy based on the ISO 14001 standard which is part of an overall quality management system.
The environmental policy advises the company to prevent and reduce harmful environmental effects. "Thanks to cutting edge technology, we are well equipped to support Rovaniemen Energia’s goals," says
Heikki Mylläri, and mentions fuzzy logic as an example of the technical solutions Metso has provided over the years.
A reliable automation system is number one priority
Since the Metso automation system has a long history in Rovaniemi, the system has been updated several times over the years with new features. The system’s long lifecycle has made implementing new features easy, and as a result updating the system’s components and software has been very cost-effective. The plant's operators have familiarized themselves with Metso DNA, and according to Mattanen, this has resulted in the operating style of the plant becoming more uniform which further enhances efficiency.
"The automation system has a clear effect on our operational efficiency. A reliable system is our number one priority, and it is used to manage environmental issues as well,” Mattanen confirms. Automation also highlights safety issues. The system structure is redundant, which means that one fault does not cause wide-spread errors. According to Mattanen, the system’s usability rate is as high as 99.98%. In fact, there have never been unplanned shut downs caused by the automation system.
The system’s usability is further strengthened by an extensive service contract with Metso.
Jarmo Harjuoja, Regional Director of Metso Automation in Kemi, talks about the partnership: "Rovaniemen Energia is a very innovative customer for us. The plant was one of the first to implement monitoring service through Ethernet network, for example. In everyday communication, the importance of local support is underlined especially in planning and system maintenance."
A career as a control room expert
The control room is the heart of the plant, and is used to control and operate the district heating grid with the Metso DNA system. For operator
Janne Keränen, the control room is more than just a workplace. It’s a big career development for this young man, for previously Keränen worked in maintenance, from where he was transferred to become an operator. Maintenance provided a strong basis for such a demanding job in process monitoring.
The visual usability of the displays also directly effects work efficiency. With a good user interface, finding the required information is quick and easy. "Metso DNA is a very easy to understand and straightforward system," says Keränen on the basis of two and a half years of user experience. The control room is always operated by two operators.
The operators’ needs have been taken into account in the design of the system. Automation technician
Juha Laukkanen agrees with Keränen that the automation system works well. He adds: "Metso DNA is flexible in that you can customize it yourself within your user rights. The colors of the displays and the fonts used are clear, and do not strain the eyes."
Pls feel free to ask for more information. We also appreciate your feedback in all automation related issues.
For more information:
Heikki Mylläri
Sales Director
heikki.myllari(at)metso.com
