Power Plant Specialist

Varo Industrial Services

We help ensure the uninterrupted operation of power plants, prepare for and execute shutdowns, and prevent corrosion damage that would shorten the boiler lifetime.

Some of Varos services, such as water quality assessments, Boiler Water Benchmarking, and internal deposit measurements of furnace tubes, are suitable for all power plants. Others, such as smelt extraction and furnace floor cleaning and protection, are specifically developed to expedite the preparation and execution of recovery boiler shutdowns.

Services

Our Customers

Services

Varo performs smelt extractions with two decades of expertise. Our patented method is safe and fast.

With our experience from hundreds of smelt extractions, we can also assist the customer in boiler operation so that smelt extraction can be carried out with optimal outcome.

With our method smelt is pumped directly into the dissolving tank so there is no risk that the spouts would overheat. This enables extractions even in the middle of the operation period so that there is no increased risk that the spouts start leaking during the rest of the period.

We monitor bed cooling after the extraction and let the customer know when all bed material has cooled and solidified so that washing can begin safely, without any risk of smelt-water explosion.

Benefits of Smelt Extraction for the customer

  • Improved production: boiler cooling time is reduced significantly, and the saved time can in most cases be used for pulp production. And when the furnace floor needs to be cleaned for inspections or repairs, even more time is saved, and more pulp can be produced.
  • Improved safety: washing can begin without any risk of smelt-water explosions.
  • Minimized chemical costs: chemicals in smelt bed are recovered and, consequently, less make-up chemicals and sulfuric acid (for neutralizing boiler wash water at the wastewater treatment plant) are needed.

Outside Finland, the service is provided by our partner Valmet.

Additional Information:
Jussi Lähde
044 552 5213

Recovery boiler manufacturers’ recommendation is to cover floor tubes with some process-like chemicals so that direct contact between black liquor and floor tubes during boiler startup is prevented.

Varo has developed a method that allows for quick and efficient floor protection using a material which consists of the main non-corrosive components of smelt. Both the method and the material are patented.

  • Efficiency from Start to Finish of Annual Shutdown: Varos floor protection method enables a rapid protection process regardless of the boiler size. With our method, the floor protection process can begin immediately after the dismantling of furnace scaffolding and be carried out simultaneously with the removal of the safety roof and the final masonry work on the boiler hatches.
  • During our floor protection process, floor protection material is blown into the furnace from a truck and dissolved in a water pool formed on furnace floor. The solution dries during boiler heating so that floor tubes are covered with dried protective material by the time liquor firing begins.
  • When the floor needs to be cleaned for repairs or inspections, the material used by Varo is easy to remove from the bottom during smelt extraction and boiler washing. Consequently, floors protected with our material can be cleaned in few hours, while floor cleaning may take 24 – 36 hours when traditional materials, such as lime or limestone, are used.
  • Less Manual Labor: Varo’s floor protection material is delivered to the site in super sacks or in a bulk truck and blown into the furnace. Compared to the traditional method, in which sacks of lime or limestone are moved to the furnace and spread there so that the whole floor is covered, the amount of manual work is reduced substantially.

Outside Finland, the floor protection service using Varo’s method and material is provided by our partner Valmet.

Additional Information:
Vili Toivakka
+358 44 565 4242

We perform internal deposit inspections of boilers using advanced ultrasound testing methods with nearly two decades of experience. We can reliably measure internal deposit thickness in the furnace tubes at hundreds of points within few days. We assist the customer with our expertise in interpreting the effects of deposits and acid cleaning recommendations.

The ultrasound method we use allows for the measurement of internal deposits even in areas such as the lower part of the furnace, where tube samples are generally not desired because welding joints in these areas are avoided if possible.

In practice, these methods are often used complementarily, with the basic inspection performed using ultrasound and tube samples taken only if the ultrasound inspection indicates unusually thick deposits, and only at the points where thick deposits have been detected. Tube samples can then be used to confirm the ultrasound inspection results and to determine the composition of the deposits and the appropriate acid cleaning solution for their removal.

Benefits for the Customer

  • The results provide a much more accurate and comprehensive picture of the internal condition of the boiler compared to the traditional method, where one or few tube samples are cut from the boiler. Based on the results, the condition of the boiler and the need for acid cleaning can be assessed more reliably than relying solely on the analysis results of tube samples.
  • By repeating the inspection regularly, with measurements always taken at the same locations, the formation of deposits can be monitored as operating hours increase. If the deposits are found to grow to the extent that the boiler would need to be acid cleaned at some point, we can help the customer make the necessary improvements in water treatment or water chemistry to slow down or completely stop the deposit growth. This way, acid cleaning can be postponed or avoided altogether.

The service is provided by our partner Valmet.

Additional Information:
Jussi Lähde
+358 44 552 5213

We help our customers ensure the safe and economical operation of boilers throughout their lifecycle. If there are deficiencies in the quality of boiler water or steam, we can help customers to identify the root causes and find appropriate corrective actions. Prolonged deviations in the quality of boiler water or steam can lead to fouling problems and corrosion damages.

Our service range includes:

  • Monitoring of Boiler Acid Cleaning and Film Formation: Selection of appropriate acid cleaning chemicals and correct procedure (temperature, pH, sufficient circulation, etc.). Guidance and monitoring of magnetite film formation (including measurements).
  • Selection and Optimization of Feedwater and Boiler Water Chemicals: Minimizing corrosion of water-steam cycle components → adjusting pH to the optimal range. Optimizing the oxygen content of feedwater → dosing oxygen scavenger only as needed, and if necessary, controlled increase of feedwater oxygen content to minimize flow- accelerated corrosion (FAC) in the feedwater circuit.
  • Plant-Specific Water Chemistry Assessments: Covering the preparation of make-up water, condensate treatment, feedwater treatment, boiler water treatment, and the assessment of water quality and the internal condition of the boiler (including our operational measurements at the plant).
  • Boiler Water Benchmarking: Organized since 2002, with approximately 25 – 30 boilers participating annually. One goal of the Boiler Water Benchmarking has been to ensure that any deficiencies in the quality of water or steam are detected early enough to prevent more serious damage. Another goal has been to ensure that the analyses used to monitor water and steam quality at the plant are suitable and accurate enough for the specific boiler. As a result, participants receive an assessment of the water and steam quality at their own plant and a summary of the results of all participants.
  • Other Technical Support Services: Technical support for issues, training for laboratory and operational staff (the importance of boiler water chemistry for the safe and economical operation of the boiler), damage investigations in case of boiler damage (whether water chemistry was responsible for the damage and preventing similar damage in the future), research and development.

Additional Information:
Jussi Vänskä
+358 44 551 1332

Efficiency and Reliability for Power Plant Operation and Pulp Mill Recovery

Varos experts have deep expertise in the operation and maintenance of power plants and pulp mill recovery processes. We help our customers improve the efficiency of recovery processes and solve potential process challenges with a knowledgeable and practical approach.

How Can We Help?

  • Optimization of Recovery Processes: We ensure that processes operate as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
  • Problem-Solving Services: We provide expert assistance if challenges or problems arise in the process.
  • Maintenance Planning and Supervision: We plan and optimize the efficiency of annual maintenance shutdowns, ensuring that all maintenance work is completed precisely on schedule. We carefully monitor the correctness and quality of installations to ensure the reliable operation of equipment and systems in the long term.
  • Process Trials and Supervision: We carefully plan and supervise process trials, ensuring successful implementation. We prepare comprehensive final reports documenting all stages and results of the process.
  • Project Expertise from Start to Finish: Varos experts offer solid project expertise from preliminary planning to commissioning and final reporting. We are a partner that supports you throughout the process, ensuring that your project progresses smoothly and achieves its set goals.

Additional Information:
Kalle Kostamo
+358 44 504 7199

We can develop an algorithm for calculating feedwater-steam differential so that the alarm set point can be set so low that

  • An automatic alarm is activated when there is a leak due to a small crack or pinhole
  • The alarm can be tested safely during normal operation by carrying out Tube Leakage Test using blow-down for leak simulation.

We provide specification for the algorithm and the customer programs it into the DCS and carries out performance tests according to our advice and instructions.

An addition, we can provide a simple test procedure which the operators can carry out to reveal if the leaking fluid is boiler water or not. In the former case the leak is in a furnace, screen or boiler bank tube, and the latter case in a superheater or economizer tube.

Benefits to the customer

  • By detecting the leaks early, the boiler can be shut down before the leak develops into a large tube rupture or damages adjacent tubes or headers. The risk of large tube leaks is reduced significantly, and in case of recovery boilers, so is the risk of strong smelt-water explosions.
  • Tube Leakage Test done shortly after boiler start-up from maintenance outage reveals if any valves are leaking, and periodic testing trains the operators to trust the alarm so that when the alarm is activated for real, it will not be ignored.
  • Operators become proficient in diagnosing leaks, since the same symptoms appear during Tube Leakage Test as appear when there is a real small leak in a furnace, screen or boiler bank tube. When a tube leak happens, there will be good chances that the operators will take appropriate actions, and the incident will be managed safely and efficiently.

Additional Information:
Timo Karjunen
+358 40 865 2019

Current News

The 2025 Boiler Water Benchmarking is in the implementation phase, with participants from both Finland and abroad, totaling 28 boilers. We aim to send the result reports to participants during April-May.

The 2026 Boiler Water Benchmarking will take place, as usual, in March. We will send offers in January-February and accept preliminary registrations until the end of February.

Additional Information and Registration:
Jussi Vänskä
+358 44 551 1332
jussi.vanska@varo.fi

Contact

Varo Teollisuuspalvelut Oy
Business ID: 2430841-3

Helsinki
Fredrikinkatu 75 A 3
00100 Helsinki

Lappeenranta
Standertskjöldinkatu 1
53200 Lappeenranta

Timo Karjunen
CEO

+358 40 865 2019
timo.karjunen@varo.fi

Jussi Vänskä
Manager for Boiler Water Chemistry Measurement and Expert Services

+358 44 551 1332
jussi.vanska@varo.fi

Jussi Lähde
Manager for Smelt Extraction for Recovery Boilers, Boiler Tube Deposit Inspection

+358 44 552 5213
jussi.lahde@varo.fi

Kalle Kostamo
Manager for Support Services for Power Plant Operation and Maintenance

+358 44 504 7199
kalle.kostamo@varo.fi

Vili Toivakka
Manager for Recovery Boiler Floor Protection

+358 44 565 4242
vili.toivakka@varo.fi