CKW starts up new wood-fired heating centre in Schüpfheim
CKW is building a new wood-fired heating centre in Schüpfheim. It will replace the old centre in Schüpfheim and supply winter electricity as well as heat. The ground-breaking ceremony took place on 29 February.
CKW is replacing the old heating centre in Chlosterbüel in Schüpfheim with a new, high-performance wood-fired heating centre. The ground-breaking ceremony was held on 29 February, CKW announced in a press release. The new energy centre will be operated mainly with firewood from the region. A hybrid boiler system for oil and electricity is planned to cover peak loads.
The centrepiece of the new plant is a combined heat and power plant with gasification technology. This will not only generate climate-neutral heat, but also climate-neutral electricity. “The greater the heat requirement, the higher the electricity production,” Rafael Mesey, Head of New Energies at CKW, is quoted as saying in the press release. “This means that we also produce valuable winter electricity at full load in winter.”
Civil and structural engineering work for the new plant is due to be completed this year. The installation and commissioning of the technical equipment is planned for early 2025. The storage tank and chimney system will then also be installed.
Parallel to the construction work for the plant, CKW is also tackling the construction of a new district heating pipeline. “Construction work will start on both sides so that the new heating centre can also be connected to the old network as quickly as possible,” explains Mesey. The construction work should be completed by August 2025. Mesey estimates that the first heat could then be supplied from the new centre.