Steam blowing at the Salmisaari power plant result in vapour clouds and temporary noise impacts
Steam blowing resulting in vapour clouds and temporary noise impacts will be carried out at Helen's Salmisaari power plant between 23 August and 6 September 2018. The cleaning is related to the major project carried out in the summer where 70 kilometres of high-pressure pipes in the steam boiler were renewed.
The cleaning will not cause any environmental hazards. Efforts are made to carry out the steam blowing on weekdays at around 9am and in the evenings between about 5pm and 6pm. The blowing takes about 15 minutes at a time.
The steam blowing is related to a major project to renew the boiler pipelines. Before commissioning, the pipelines are cleaned with steam blowing. The steam blowing will release only clean water vapour into the air, and any solid material in the pipes, such as welding residues, is recovered into a container built in the plant area. It is important to carry out the steam blowing of the renewed pipelines with care because they play a critical role in the power plant's production process.
"Usually, steam blowing only results in quite magnificent vapour clouds and also some temporary loud noise. We apologise for the noise, but there is no need to be alarmed," says Power Plant Manager Jarmo Hagström from Helen.
Nearly 200 professionals taking part in the maintenance and building work this summer
The high-pressure pipes in the steam boiler were renewed in the project implemented at Salmisaari during the summer. Over 70 kilometres of pipeline was built in the boiler, and the pipeline has the strongest pressure in the power plant, 135 bar. The temperature of the vapour moving in the pipeline is about 500 degrees. The installation work of the pipelines involved, e.g. welding of more than 2,500 seams in total.
The modernisation tasks will improve the plant's reliability. The new high-pressure pipelines will also better withstand the use of biofuels. The old high-pressure pipelines were the original ones dating from 1984.
The renewal project on the boiler pipelines was implemented during the summer at the same time with the normal annual maintenance tasks. A total of about 200 professionals from various fields took part in the annual maintenance and project tasks, and some 150 of them are employed by outside contractors.
Information to close neighbours through several channels
Helen will inform the neighbouring residents and workplaces with newspaper notices, outdoor signs and through social media. Helen's employees are also handing out earplugs in the vicinity of the power plant during steam blowing.
Facts about the project and the Salmisaari power plant:
- 70 kilometres of the high-pressure pipelines of the steam boiler were renewed.
- The installation work of the pipelines involved welding of more than 2,500 seams.
- The upgrade will improve the plant's operational reliability, and the renewed pipelines will also better withstand the use of biofuels.
- Salmisaari B power plant produces 160 megawatts of electricity and 300 megawatts of district heat with almost 90 per cent efficiency.
- The fuels used at the plant are coal and wood pellets.
- Salmisaari B power plant was commissioned in 1984.