Alfa Laval’s efficient products contribute to environmental gains
The recent years’ increasing focus on climate and environmental issues has resulted in the development of more international rules and regulations to protect the environment. Consequently, there is an increase in the demand for technologies that enhance the efficiency of energy utilization and reduce emissions and pollution. Alfa Laval’s energy-efficient products and solutions will contribute to cost savings and environmental gains.
Recovery of waste heat will reduce energy consumption
Alfa Laval’s products for heat recovery contribute to reducing environmentally hazardous emissions by customers. Through recycling waste heat, which would otherwise have been lost, the customers’ energy consumption is reduced, which cuts costs and carbon-dioxide emissions.
This becomes increasingly important based on the continuous rise in demand for energy.
Plate heat exchangers
One of Alfa Laval’s many energy-efficient products is the company’s compact plate heat exchanger, which can recover 95 percent of heat in a process, compared with traditional technology which can only recover 70 percent.
Alfa Laval’s compact, fully welded plate heat exchanger is used within the refining industry, where it contributes to reducing energy needs. There are currently thousands of these heat exchangers installed globally. Combined, they result in significant savings in terms of energy and money, but they also contribute to reducing carbon-dioxide emissions by about 12 million tons annually. This corresponds to emissions from all vehicle traffic in Sweden for one year.
Sugar production is another energy-intense industry. Production of one kilogram of sugar requires 2.4 kilograms of steam, using traditional shell-and-tube heat exchangers in the process. If plate heat exchangers are used instead, only 1.3 kilograms of steam will be required. If all the world’s sugar producers switched to plate heat exchangers, energy savings would amount to 42 million MWh, enough to supply Belgium with power for five months.
Separators/decanters
A majority of the world’s population generate waste water every day. The amount varies depending on where in the world the person is located. The same applies to handling. In some areas, approximately 70 percent of the waste water is treated, while in other regions only about 10 percent.
Following treatment, there is still a large quantity of water-soaked waste sludge, which must be transported away for destruction. Using Alfa Laval’s decanters, up to 90 percent of this water can be recovered and treated, which will reduce transport volumes and consequently fuel requirements and carbon-dioxide emissions.
Currently, Alfa Laval has supplied so many decanters that combined they dewater sewage sludge from the waste water from approximately 250 million people. The dewatering in the decanters occurs using centrifugal force.
Alfa Laval’s efficient products can recover up to 95 percent of heat in a process, thus reducing both carbon-dioxide emissions and energy costs.
Alfa Laval’s technologies clean distillery waste
The more than 100-year old Urzhumsky distillery is located in the Russian Kirov region. The company is a major producer of various types of alcohol. Its range includes approximately 80 types of vodka.
However, a distillery does not only generate alcohol but also large quantities of residual waste comprising fibers, yeast and protein, which form an aqueous solution of solid and dissolved particles. For each liter of alcohol that is produced, approximately 10 liters of residual waste is also generated. The Urzhumsky distillery has the capacity to produce up to 25,000 liters of alcohol per day, which generates 250,000 liters of residual waste.
Since there have not been any laws in the past in Russia to regulate waste disposal, most distilleries pumped their residues directly into the sea, lakes and watercourses. Although the waste does not contain any chemicals, when it comes in contact with water it decomposes – an aerobic process that can kill plant and animal life. Consequently, a proposal has been submitted, signifying that the Russian government will introduce laws to demand treatment of waste prior to disposal, starting in 2009.
To harmonize the operations with future regulations, Urzhumsky decided to invest in new equipment. They chose a combined solution from Alfa Laval, which includes decanters and evaporators. By leading the waste to a decanter centrifuge, the solid particles are separated from the liquid. The liquid fraction is then fed into the evaporator where it is boiled and dewatered. The concentrate that remains when the liquid has evaporated is mixed with the solid particles from the earlier process and enters the dryer to remove the last residual water. The result is a dry, storable mass, rich in both protein and fiber and that can be used as animal feed. The sale of the animal feed, priced at approximately EUR 110 per ton, will generate extra earnings for Urzhumsky, while emissions into watercourses will disappear. The investment will generate both earnings and environmental benefits.
Distilleries in Poland, the Ukraine and Romania are also facing regulation amendments. In Scotland, where distilleries have historically disposed their waste in the North Sea, regulatory amendments have already been introduced. However, Scottish whisky producers are often small, which means that the cost for solving waste management will be significant for individual distilleries. Consequently, several of them have been exempted, provided that they can show a schedule for the introduction of statutory management. Since they are grouped in inaccessible locations, solutions are being discussed signifying that they merge and lead the waste to a joint location where it will then be treated.
Alfa Laval can supply products and solutions for a number of different waste applications. There are currently thousands of the company’s decanters installed globally and demand continues to increase in pace with the introduction of new environment laws.