Penetron helps turn garbage into power in Sweden

Penetron technology was used to ensure a completely waterproofed below-grade foundation for the Filbornaverket facility, a modern waste-fired “Combined Heat & Power” (CHP) plant in Helsingborg, Sweden. The plant is now fully online.

Filbornaverket is a “waste-to-energy” plant that utilizes combustible household and commercial waste to produce electricity and district heating for the local grid. The CHP technology produces steam, heat and electricity to provide 18 megawatts of electricity and 60 megawatts of district heating; this is equivalent to the annual energy requirements for about 6,000 family homes.

The Filbornaverket plant can burn approximately 200,000 tons of waste per year – at an overall thermal efficiency of almost 100 percent.

Pen-Tec, the Penetron partner in Scandinavia, was called into the project to provide a reliable concrete waterproofing solution that would provide protection against various aggressive compounds found in the waste contents.

With the groundwater table varying between 8 to 10 meters (26 to 33 feet), Pen-Tec worked with NCC Construction Sweden AB to ensure a successful solution. The finished concrete structure is 155 meters (510 feet) long and 50 meters (164 feet) high, with an 85-meter (280 feet) tall smokestack; the storage tank is 18 meters (60 feet) high.

Penetron Admix was used to treat approximately 1,400 square meters for the bottom shaft and walls (14 meters/46 feet deep) and another 17,000 square meters for the intake shaft.

“The concrete pour was done in the middle of winter, at temperatures of -3 to -5° Celsius. With higher temperatures in the spring, which also warmed the concrete, the technical team noted the self-healing properties of Penetron Admix had sealed all the cracks in the concrete,” adds Robert Revera, President and CEO of The Penetron Group. “The added protection of our admixture against corrosive agents will enhance durability, extending the lifetime of the concrete structures at Filbornaverket.”

The Penetron Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives and distribution channels.

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