Today’s News from Abroad installment highlights global accomplishments from pilot programs in gas recovery and a successful trial run of biomass usage in ferrochrome making to the first electric furnace for luxury bottles and state-of-the-art furnace upgrades – all with a goal of achieving production efficiency and sustainability.
Heat Treat Today partners with two international publications to deliver the latest news, tech tips, and cutting-edge articles that will serve our audience — manufacturers with in-house heat treat. heat processing, a Vulkan-Verlag GmbH publication, serves mostly the European and Asian heat treat markets, and Furnaces International, a Quartz Business Media publication, primarily serves the English-speaking globe.
Bolstering Sustainable Operations with Cutting Edge Gas Recovery
Source: Outokumpu
“Outokumpu, a supplier of sustainable stainless steel, and ON2Quest, an innovator in the field of industrial gas purification and generation, are piloting a cutting-edge gas recovery system that will enable the recovery of hydrogen from their production processes. The collaboration aims to enhance sustainable operational efficiency by integrating hydrogen recovery into the stainless steel production cycle at Outokumpu’s production plant in Krefeld, Germany. The gas recovery system is designed to recover hydrogen – a by-product of the stainless steel manufacturing process – where the gas will undergo a rigorous cleaning and compression process to ensure that it will be suitable for use again. The purified hydrogen will then be blended with natural gas, creating a hybrid fuel that will be used to power the burners.”
READ MORE: “ON2Quest and Outokumpu Are Piloting Hydrogen Recovery System in Stainless Steel Production Plant” – at heat-processing.com
Reinforcing Capacities with State-of-the-Art Furnace Upgrades
Source: Speira
“Speira, a European aluminum rolling and recycling company, is upgrading its plants in Grevenbroich and Töging with two new furnaces each, replacing the previous units with state-of-the-art systems. With the four tiltable rotary furnaces, the aluminum recycler is reinforcing its capacities specifically for the recycling of so-called ‘low grades’ such as heavily contaminated scrap and dross produced during the melting process. ‘We take a holistic view of our contribution to a functioning circular economy. That’s why we don’t just look at the pure, easy-to-recycle scraps, but also at the more difficult lower grades and by-products. Wherever aluminum is in it, we want to get the maximum out of it and put it back into the cycle,’ explains Ralf Köring, Head of Recycling Services, which are provided for Speira’s other business areas as well as for external customers, for example in the automotive and packaging industries. Speira is investing around eleven million euros in the four furnaces. This includes charging machines, suction hoods, thermal afterburners, piping and other infrastructure.”
READ MORE: “Upgrade for “low grades”: Speira invests around eleven million euros in four new recycling furnaces” at furnaces-international.com
Biomass Usage in Ferrochrome Trial Marks Progress in Reducing Carbon Footprint
Source: Tata Steel
“Tata Steel, has successfully conducted the trial of biomass usage in ferrochrome making at its Ferrochrome Plant in Athagarh of Odisha’s Cuttack district. The plant, operating under the Ferro Alloys and Minerals Division (FAMD) of the company, becomes first in India to have performed the trial run as part of its sustainable alternative to traditional carbon sources. Marking a significant step towards sustainable ferrochrome production and reducing the carbon footprint, the trial involved substitution of conventional fossil fuels with biomass, a renewable energy source derived from organic materials. This initiative is expected to lower CO2 emission by 0.08/t of Ferrochrome (5% use of biomass) which is around 6% of total CO2 emission from Ferrochrome plant.”
READ MORE: “First in Ferrochrome Plants in India, Tata Steel Conducts Successful Trial of Biomass Usage” at furnaces-international.com.
France’s First Electric Furnace To Impact Sourcing Green Energy
Source: Groupe Prochet
“Groupe Pochet and ABO Wind announce the signing of a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the commissioning of the developer’s largest photovoltaic (PV) park in France. The PV park, with an installed capacity of around 20 MWp, will be in operation by early 2025, and will accompany the project to build France’s first electric furnace for luxury bottles. Through this agreement, Groupe Pochet is acting to reduce its impact on the planet by sourcing green energy and securing the long-term purchase price of electricity. Pursuing its ‘Sustainable Beauty’ CSR roadmap, and in line with its decarbonization plan, Groupe Pochet has teamed up with ABO Wind, a major player in the development of renewable energies worldwide, by signing a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement. As a major project under the decarbonization plan, the electric furnace, which will be operational by the end of 2024, will be partly supplied by green energy from the future photovoltaic plant.”
READ MORE: “Groupe Pochet partners with ABO Wind to source renewable energy“ at furnaces-international.com.
