Other Industrial Applications

Glencore – Nordenhamer Zinkhütte

At Nordenhamer Zinkhütte GmbH, four eP 150.200 modules now convert the previously unused waste heat from energy-intensive zinc production into more than 5,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year. At the same time, they reduce CO2 emissions by around 2,800 tonnes.

Nordenhamer Zinkhütte GmbH produces around 165,000 tonnes of zinc and zinc alloys annually in northern Lower Saxony. The process generates usable waste heat. Until now, some of this waste heat could not be utilised due to the low temperature levels cannot be used economically. In order to make good use of this portion, the company decided to convert the heat into electricity using Orcan Energy's ORC-based efficiency packages.

‘We are continuously working to reduce and optimise the energy consumption of our processes. With the Orcan modules, we are now able to make better use of the existing waste heat potential. We can use the electricity we generate ourselves directly on site. In this way, we are reducing the load on the electricity grid and protecting the environment in a cost-effective manner,’ says Waldemar Klink, plant manager at the Nordenham zinc smelter.

HARO - parquet manufacturing

Hamberger Flooring, the company behind the HARO brand, converts excess heat into CO2-neutral electricity using Orcan's waste heat modules. The heat required for the production of various floor coverings is fed via a hot water network to the production halls at the Stephanskirchen site, where it is used for drying, gluing and surface treatment, among other things. While some of the surplus heat can also be used for heating in winter, in summer in particular there is often a large surplus capacity.

Orcan Energy's modules use this surplus heat to generate CO2-neutral electricity that can be used directly on site. In addition to the considerable savings compared to purchasing electricity from the grid, further savings are achieved through the reduced utilisation of the existing refrigeration machine.

Hans Peter Bauer, Head of Central Services at Hamberger Flooring, comments: ‘The installation of the first module was a complete success. In less than six months, we were able to go from ordering to implementing a system that makes our processes significantly more energy-efficient and therefore also more sustainable. The second module will help us to fully exploit our entire waste heat potential on site.’

Amberg Kristallglas

E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions and Orcan Energy have jointly commissioned a state-of-the-art ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) system in Walter Gropius's ‘glass cathedral’, the production site of Kristall-Glasfabrik Amberg GmbH & Co. KG.  For the production process, the glass tank is continuously heated to a melting temperature of almost 1,500 degrees. This produces hot exhaust gases, the energy of which has remained unused until now. With the aid of a heat exchanger, this waste heat is transferred to a glycol-water mixture, which transports the heat to the ORC system to generate clean base load electricity.

Ecobat Resources – Recycling

Ecobat is a leading recycling company in Europe. At its site in Freiberg, the company recycles 75,000 tonnes of used batteries annually and produces around 55,000 tonnes of lead and lead alloys, including tin and antimony master alloys. In addition to secondary lead, polypropylene composites, hazardous waste disposal and recycling, the site also produces 5,000 tonnes of sodium sulphate per year, which is sold to the glass and detergent industries.

During the production of these resources, the steam from the crystallisation process must be condensed – until now, a wet cooling tower has been used for this purpose. Orcan Energy is replacing this wet cooling tower with three Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) modules, the efficiency PACKs eP 150.200. These generate electricity from the process waste heat and at the same time reduce the cooler's water and electricity consumption as well as its maintenance costs.

‘Our focus has long been on the economical and effective use of energy. We see responsible action as the basis for our economic success. With the help of Orcan Energy's waste heat solutions, we can optimise energy consumption in our company and further decarbonise our business activities,’ says Martin Fischer, Managing Director of Ecobat Resources Freiberg.