Heat Exchanger World magazine April 2024 | Page 13

Industry News
EuroChem opens phosphate fertilizer manufacturing complex Salt X and ABB expand collaboration
EuroChem celebrates the opening of its new phosphate fertilizer production facility in Serra do Salitre , State of Minas Gerais , Brazil . With a total project investment of nearly USD 1bn , the new phosphate mine and plant complex was constructed in record-breaking time and will have an annual production capacity of 1 million tonnes of advanced phosphate fertilizers , significantly increasing the reliability of domestic phosphate fertilizer supplies to Brazilian farmers . The facility offers state-ofthe-art integrated phosphate fertilizer production , with low water consumption , a fully closed water circuit , and a clean energy generation system that re-uses its
own steam and generates up to 40 % of the entire facility ’ s energy needs . EuroChem is actively investing in the development of its production facilities and , over the past few years , has launched several new production sites , including the EuroChem-Northwest ammonia plant and the Usolskiy and VolgaKaliy potash plants in Russia . An ammonia and urea plant in Russia , EuroChem North-West-2 , as well as a potassium nitrate plant in southern Russia and a chemical complex in Karatau , Kazakhstan , are currently under construction . In South America , in addition to its Salitre complex , EuroChem has blending facilities and a wide distribution network , employing over 3,000 people in Brazil .
ABB and Sweden-based greentech company Salt X have signed an agreement to enable the further development of technologies in the Electric Arc Calcination ( EAC ) process . ABB will also become a minority shareholder in Salt X . The two companies are known for their expertise in electrifying emission-intensive industries , including in the production of cement and quicklime , highly sought after materials in modern construction and process industries . Today , manufacturers are dependent on fossil fuels for high-temperature heating , up to 900 degrees Celsius , and have no realistic alternative . Under the new agreement , Salt X will further develop its innovative Electric Arc Calciner ( EAC ), a technology that makes
it possible to reach several thousand degrees Celsius . The electric plasma solution reinvents industrial calcination – the process used to heat materials to high temperatures – and replaces fossil-driven heating with renewable electricity while capturing the CO2 emissions released . ABB will contribute with control and electrical systems for the EAC , creating a strong joint offering to the market . The collaboration aims to accelerate the commercialization of Salt X ’ s electrification and carbon separation technology . The companies first initiated a collaboration for electrifying the industrial process of calcination in 2022 . This intensified in 2023 with the construction of Salt X ’ s research and test facility ( ECRC ).
Antwerp North Heat Network kicks off with heat delivery to Boortmalt
Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever pressed the symbolic start button to kick off the Antwerp North Heat Network . A pipeline network across the port of Antwerp links the sites of Indaver Antwerp and malting company Boortmalt . From now on , Boortmalt will use residual heat from Indaver as a substitute for natural gas and CHP to produce malt . In addition , this network is the first ‘ open access ’ heat network in Belgium , offering opportunities for new suppliers and customers . The connection point for a residential heat network to the social housing of Woonhaven Antwerp has also been constructed . This heat network represents significant savings on fossil fuels and a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions . It receives financial support from the Flemish government through the Flemish Energy and Climate Agency . In the Antwerp North Heat Network , the residual heat comes from the rotary kilns of Indaver where industrial waste is thermally processed . The heat from combustion is utilized in the form of electricity . However , residual heat still remains in this process . It is this residual heat that is supplied to Boortmalt , which has committed to using the heat in its malt production process in the long term . The heat is transported from Indaver to Boortmalt at a temperature of approximately 105 ° C , about
10 km away in the harbor . The cooled water ( 65 ° C ) flows back to Indaver through a second pipeline to be reused .
GMK Energy to deploy Thermosoft software
GMK Energy has signed an agreement for the installation of Thermosoft , a power plant optimization software , in the 24-MW Kubilay Geothermal Power Plant in Türkiye owned by Beştepeler Enerji Üretim Ticaret A . Ş . Thermosoft is a software that combines thermodynamic
calculations , heat transfer , and fluid mechanics modeling methods with artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in all heatbased power plants , especially geothermal power plants . A product of 5 years of intensive development work , this innovative software aims to optimize the operational processes of power plants and use
their resources more effectively and efficiently . While Thermosoft performs 24 / 7 instantaneous thermodynamic and heat transfer calculations of power plants , it also aims to provide continuous performance optimization by thermodynamic modeling of the power plant . Thermosoft creates both statistical
models by constantly monitoring the data of the power plant and unique performance curves of power plants using different artificial intelligence and machine learning methods . This software , in addition to increased efficiency , also provides early fault detection and realistic daily , weekly , and monthly energy production estimates .
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