The OMES-Project

The combined development and demonstration project OMES ( Optimised Microturbine Energy Systems ) is implemented under the European Commission’s 5th Framework program. The project duration was from September 2001 to April 2004. In the first project phase 4 different applications for the Turbec T100 microturbine have been developed, namely production of steam, production of cold, cluster power plant and alternative fuels (LHV fuel and liquid fuel). In the second phase 18 demonstration microturbine systems have been implemented in the different applications. The observed demonstration period was from February 2003 to February 2004.

Statoil ASA, a Norwegian energy distributor, operated the facilities for the latter applications: two microturbine systems operating on methanol (though not produced from renewable sources). One system was lokated at Statoil Main Office, Forus Stavanger in Norway and the other at a residential complex in Drammen (Norway). The methanol was produced from natural gas at Statoil's methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden, Norway, and served to demonstrate Statoil's strategy to utilise methanol as a means of distributing natural gas to areas without natural gas supply.

	For both installations, a new methanol fuel supply system was designed and installed by Statoil. The challenge was to introduce methanol to the fuel market in a way, which would enable non-specialists to handle methanol as a commercial fuel. A lot of engineering and authority work was performed by Statoil to achieve this.
	Installation of the methanol fuel tank at Forus. Photo: Tor Berquist, Statoil
	The function of the first Turbec T100 unit was to produce power for the Statoil office complex, heat for the hot water system, and cooling during summer season. The cooling system is arranged with a Broad absorption chiller producing approx. 95 kW cooling from approx. 165 kW heat delivered from the T100. The second CHP unit, producing heat and power is in the residential complex Fjell Borettslag in Drammen. The heat from the Turbec T100 is delivered to the hot water heating system. The T100 is producing only a small part of the heat needed as two oil-fuelled boilers produce the main heat supply. There is no cooling installation at Fjell.
	Turbec T100 at Statoil, Forus, Stavanger. Photo: Roar Stokholm, Statoil

The conclusions from the T100 test with methanol are:

• The microturbine is well suited for CHP combined with cooling.
  
• The net electrical efficiency was 30%. The efficiency loss is less when the T100 is operating on liquid fuel compared to gas, as the pumping of liquid requires less power.
  
• Careful design of the fuel system has to be made to avoid problems with components from synthetic materials coming into contact with the fuel.
  

For more details, please visit the OMES project website and download the OMES Final Report at Publications.