Use of Polybutene-1 in Biomass-fired District Heating Network

Environmentally friendly solutions are of great importance to reach the CO2 emission targets set at the Kyoto Conference. Biomass use in District Heating is recommended as the most economical solution for reductions in CO2 emissions to date. Since 1983, Austria has made great efforts to support the use of Biomass, and this is just one example of more than 220 large projects realised since that date.

This district heating network in the village of Seibersdorf, Austria, was installed in 1987 with a central straw-fired boiler and 9 km of Polybutene-1 pipes providing heating for approximately 100 houses in this agricultural village.

The installation time for the network was only 10 weeks due to the simple, safe and speedy installation procedures of the FLEXALEN Polybutene-1 piping system. The laying of the pipes was carried out by the farmers, and the fusion welding of the joints by skilled operators.

Three main pipelines from the central boiler-house were used to distribute the 2.2 MW of heat with maximum 90°C outflow to the heat exchangers in the houses, and 60°C return temperature to the central boiler-house. The temperature is controlled by ultrasonic metering.

The network has been enlarged during recent years and is now supplying 90% of the houses in Seibersdorf. The straw used for fuelling the boiler is all grown locally.



THERMAFLEX-FLEXALEN Rohr- und Isoliersysteme GmbH

A-1230 Wien
Siebenhirtenstraße 17
ÖSTERREICH

Tel: +43 (0)1 523 26 25-0
Fax: +43 (0)1 523 26 25-24
Email: t.office@thermaflex.at
Web: www.thermaflex.com