Automation of heat buffers – District Heating Almere

Following the decommissioning of two combined cycle gas generators in Almere, the existing atmospheric heat buffers lost their original function.

Nuon wanted to give these buffers a new function as storage vessels for the pressure maintenance and supply system of the district heating network, while preserving the reliability of the network.

The existing buffers were never designed for this new function: they still had to be fully and reliably integrated into the district heating network’s existing PCS 7 system, without jeopardizing the security of supply to Almere.

Powerspex integrated the thermal buffers into the existing Siemens PCS 7 system of the WarmteWacht (WaWa) at the DM plant. The work included drafting the functional design, expanding the PCS 7 system, creating a WOS-AP interface, mechanical and electrical modifications, and supplying instrumentation. Extensive testing and commissioning followed.

The heat buffers have been successfully brought back into operation as part of the district heating pressure maintenance system in Almere, offering Nuon a flexible, future-proof solution through the effective reuse of existing infrastructure.