After a 15-month construction period, the thermal residue treatment and energy utilisation plant (TREA) of Stadtwerke Gießen AG (SWG) is starting its trial operation. On 9 April, SWG invited representatives of the Giessen Regional Council, the citizens' initiative "Lebenswertes Gießen" and the local press to a joint information meeting on site. Reinhard Paul, Technical Director of SWG, as well as Sabine Fellner von Feldegg, Marlies Melo and Frank Obst from the Giessen Regional Council answered questions about the status of work on the TREA.
Hot commissioning underway
Reinhard Paul on the status of the work: "We were able to complete the so-called cold commissioning last week. Hot commissioning is now underway." According to Reinhard Paul, this means that the support burner is already running. However, it is not yet being fuelled with the final fuel (the secondary fuel obtained from commercial waste), but with natural gas.
Trial operation after Easter
Over the course of the week, the fuel bunker will be partially filled and the waste gas purification system will be prepared for operation. At the end of the week, a TÜV inspection is also on the programme.
The TREA will then be shut down over Easter. Secondary fuel will then be burnt for the first time after the holidays. SWG expects the trial phase to be completed by the end of May 2009.