Technical and Economic Feasibility Studies

As an engineering firm specializing in heat recovery, we are very familiar with the costs of energy in its various forms.

We have experience of working on many innovative energy efficiency projects. We know that the final decision to undertake a project is driven and related to the return on the investment. One example is the feasibility study of heat recovery in the production centers of Verallia and Mahou in Burgos, where all the energy and economic variables of the project were analysed in detail as part of the initial study.

Objective of the Study

The purpose of the study was to quantify the possibilities of heat recovery from the hot fumes of the Verallia factory in Burgos, in order to cover part of the steam consumption demand of the adjacent Mahou factory including analysis of the economic profitability of the project.

Energy Recovery Analysis

Design Basis

For the analysis of energy recovery from the Verallia glass furnace fumes, the following data and assumptions were considered:

Furnace 1: To be replaced in 2019 by a 160 m² unit.
Furnace 2: To be replaced in 2020 by a new unit of equal size to current unit.
Year of operation: Year 1 of operation of the energy recovery would be 2019.
Shutdown for furnace replacement: 105 days, with an intermediate repair of 60 days.
Furnace operation: From year 0 of installation to year 10, with an intermediate repair in year 11, and continuous operation until year 15.
Furnace operating conditions: Dry O2 variation from 3% to 11% at different operating conditions.

Thermal Balances and Results

The analysis of the heat balances was carried out considering different operating hypotheses, obtaining the following results:

Hypothesis A: Annual consumption increased by 1.25% with dry O2 to 3% in year 0 and 8% in year 10.
Hypothesis B: Annual consumption increased by 1.25% with dry O2 to 3% in year 0 and 11% in year 10.

Steam Supply Analysis

Design Basis

For the supply of steam to the Mahou plant, the following was considered:

Hydraulic and thermal losses analysis: Steam supply lines and their corresponding losses were evaluated.
Annual fuel gas savings: Gas savings were calculated, considering both summer and winter conditions.

Conclusions

The study concluded that energy recovery from Verallia’s hot fumes to supply steam to Mahou was technically feasible and economically profitable. The initial investment is amortized over a period of 2.5 to 3.9 years, depending on the scenario considered. In addition, the project complies with European directives on energy improvement and efficiency, significantly improving the operational sustainability of both factories.