Waste-to-energy facilities are becoming more prevalent in developing regions, such as China, because they provide a reliable source of renewable energy while also addressing the challenge of municipal solid waste disposal. There were 70 waste-to-energy plants operating in China as of 2009; more than 100 new plants are in the planning stages, according to Pike Research.  

“The new facility will play an important role in supporting this region’s growth, so we wanted to be sure we selected an automation vendor with relevant experience,” said Zhou Xiangyang, chief engineer, Shanghai Laogang Refuse Incineration Co. “In Ovation we found a state-of-the-art control solution that has already been proven in waste-to-energy facilities. This made Emerson the best choice for us.”

 At the Laogang facility, Ovation technology will monitor and control the Hitachi Zosen stoker-fired incineration boilers and Qingdao steam turbines (2x30 MW). The Ovation system will also perform data acquisition, as well as manage the plant’s modulating control system, sequence control system, electrical control system, furnace safety supervisory system, turbine DEH/ETS (Digital Electro-hydraulic Control System/Emergency Trip System) and a large number of other balance-of-plant processes and equipment. In all, the Ovation system will be responsible for nearly 7,500 I/O points.

In addition to the Ovation system, Emerson will also supply its EDS enterprise visualization technology, as well as Rosemount 3051 pressure and flow transmitters.