The Amer power plant in Geertruidenberg (North Brabant) is a production location of RWE. The plant produces electricity for approximately one million households and heat for greenhouses in Drimmelen as well as part of the district heating in Breda and Tilburg.

A continuity risk has been identified by the insurance company: the conveyor belt from the coal storage to the bunkers situated above the ovens. If this conveyor belt is damaged by fire, the power plant can no longer supply power because the coal supply stops. This required a solution.

Challenge; The fire risk

The conveyor belt is approx. 230 meters long, partly with a slope of approx. 35 degrees, and is located in a tunnel whose construction is not frost-free. The fire risk comes from overheating of the bearings of the rollers that support the conveyor belt and motors that move the belt. This could cause a fire. The coal on the belt acts a fuel that can intensify the fire.

The speed of detection was an important criteria - In case of an emergency, the belt must be stopped as quickly as possible, to prevent the fire moving into the bunker area.

Adapt to the situation

The insurer's advice was the most obvious solution: a sprinkler system, but a sprinkler system needs a large amount of water. The location of the conveyor makes it difficult to supply the installation with the required amount of water, so this option was eliminated.

We first looked for a possible water supply. We found it in the generator building.

On the same floor as the bunker and the highest point of the conveyor belt are two 20,000 liter tanks. This is the water supply for the fire hose reels, it serves as cooling water and could also be used for this application.

Additionally, there was also space for the E-pump that is needed to increase the pressure.

With this information we came to a suitable solution: a low-pressure water mist installation. The VID FireKill low pressure water mist system consumes 60% less water compared to a sprinkler system, making it an appropriate solution due to this situation.

To be able to detect problems quickly, we use a linear temperature cable that runs along the bearings and motors. The installation is divided into nine sections that are controlled by the fire panel, which ensures the correct water mist section is activated when a fire is detected.

Result; Think outside the box

The result is optimal fire protection with installations that meet the situational requirements of all parties: the water supply, rapid detection, height differences and construction.

Standard installations are not always possible and outside the box thinking is sometimes necessary to resolve difficult problems. Together with RWE engineers, we have come up with a smart solutions that have now passed the live test.