Stena, E.ON Sign Energy Deal

The metals company Stena Aluminium, based in Älmhult, Sweden, and the Sweden-based energy producer E.On Värme have signed a 15-year agreement to allow the waste heat generated at Stena’s smelting plant to be distributed to E.On’s heating customers in Älmhult.

“This agreement is entirely in line with E.ON's efforts to minimize carbon dioxide emissions and to utilize resources that would otherwise have gone to waste,” Peter Jonsson, E.ON Värme regional director, says. “Using waste heat from Stena Aluminium, district heating in Älmhult, Sweden can expand further without us needing to make use of more fuel.”

“There is an enormous benefit to the environment if so much waste heat can be utilized and replace other fuels. This is a major contribution to sustainable development for Älmhult,” Staffan Persson, Stena Aluminium managing director, says. “At the same time, Stena is switching from heating using bottled gas to district heating and is being connected to the district heating network.”

The agreement means heating supplies from Stena Aluminium of up to 25 GWh (Gigawatt Hour) a year. Stena says that the project should be ready by summer 2012, and the waste heat will be distributed through the district’s heating network.

“Älmhult is rapidly expanding with new commercial and industrial areas and we therefore reckon on district heating supplies increasing from the current 75 GWh per year to about 100 GWh per year by 2014,” Jonsson says. “By next year, we will have already coped with a good 6 GWh in increased supply so the waste heat is a welcome addition.”