Decarbonization and reliability of steam production

The project aimed to optimize the steam network through the engineering and commissioning of Advanced Process Control (APC) solutions. Our goal was to improve the stability and reliability of the steam supply required by the process units while maximizing the use of carbon-free energy from the nearby incineration plant.

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Key Results

> 98 % Heat Exchange

Amount of incinerator steam recovered

> 80 % Process Variability

Steam pressure stabilization across operating units

< 6 months

For a return on investment

-2,700 t

Annual steam saved from venting

-4,000 tCO2/year

Annual Reduction in GHG Emissions

-2,000,000 m3/year

In annual natural gas savings

Challenges

Ensuring steam production reliability for process units

during sudden drops or fluctuations in steam supply from waste incineration.

Optimize the energy mix

by maximizing carbon-free steam from waste incineration and reducing fossil fuel consumption.

Stabilize steam header pressures

to ensure disruption-free production.

Ensure reliable and flexible operation

aligned with production demand.

Project Overview

Deliver a turnkey energy efficiency project featuring the deployment of Advanced Process Control (APC) for the steam network and the waste incinerator heat exchanger.

With the following objectives:

Stabilize header pressures,
Improve natural gas auxiliary boiler reliability,
Maximize heat recovery from the incinerator,
Reduce venting losses,
Minimize production downtime,
Decrease manual operator interventions.

Commissioned APC Solutions

The commissioned APC solutions stabilized the steam networks required by the process units, thereby enhancing overall production unit availability. By optimizing the energy mix, the APC solutions also reduced natural gas consumption dedicated to steam generation.

Validated gains following APC deployment resulted in a payback period of under 6 months, excluding additional productivity gains.

Proposed Approach

Instrumentation and control performance audit
Gas boiler combustion audit and tuning
Dynamic steam network simulation
APC logic programming
Operator validation and training on simulator
Operational and economic performance tracking
Remote support