Projects guaranteed emissions and energy efficiency
Projects worth about R30-million, aimed at improving the emission levels and energy efficiency at facilities across South Africa, are being undertaken by energy efficient combustion technologies company Combustion Technology.
“Our current projects include a 40 t natural gas-fired watertube steam boiler, operating at 21 bar; a 22 t coal-fired to gas-fired watertube boiler conversion, with five high-efficiency Limpfield burners. We are also installing and commissioning 27 t, 20 t and 5 t steam boilers and converting two coal-fired steam boilers into natural gas-fired and biogas-fired boilers,” says Combustion Technology MD Grant Renecle.
He mentions that, at the peak of these projects, the company will have employed about 60 people. Most of these projects are more than 50% complete and are expected to be completed by November this year.
The company’s biggest challenge in industry is getting boiler users to understand the energy efficiency limitations affecting the capacity of the boilers. A boiler, with a specified 90% to 92% mechanical heat-transfer efficiency, has reached these operating levels only once at the time of performance acceptance testing and mostly at maximum continuous rating. The boiler cannot sustain this level of effi- ciency under normal continuous operation, owing to many factors, such as ambient conditions and fuel-supply challenges.
“Combustion Technology is focused on eliminating all these negatively influencing factors and has achieved an improved energy efficiency of 8% to 12% on boilers, compared with those achieved by our competitors. Some of the key milestones have been a proven Garioni Naval boiler efficiency level of 92%, oxygen emissions of less than 3% and carbon dioxide emissions of less than 10 parts per million,” highlights Renecle.
He believes Combustion Technology’s continuous contact and technology exchange with companies in the US, the UK and other European countries, where the technology influencing boiler design and combustion management is a top priority, has distinguished it from local competitors.
The company believes it has captured the market in converting coal-firing boilers into natural gas steam-boiler plants since 2003. Its projects, to date, have included multinational companies that want reduce their emissions and do away with coal, “as the rest of the modern world has done away with coal-fired boilers”, says Renecle.
“The biggest growth potential for the boiler industry lies in the conversion from coal to gas, or alternative fuels, such as biomass fuel. The carbon tax initiative by government and environmental issues will drive these types of projects. About 90% of the boiler market relies on coal energy, which, admittedly, is cost effective in the short term.
“However, the long-term health and environmental impacts will result in decreased coal consumption and probably limit consumption to power stations, where there are better controls and the fallout can be limited to one area,” he concludes.
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