Development of concepts for heat integration/waste heat utilisation

Current state:

• Steam and Hot Oil are used as thermal energy vectors onsite for purposes as reaching reaction initiation temperature, pipes trace heating and heating of product tanks.
• Systems were historically designed without consideration of heat integration and/or pinch-points possibilities, resulting in non-optimal use of utilities.
• Requirements from Energy Efficiency Act (Energieeffizienzgesetz, EnEfG) drive the need for a detailed monitoring of lost heat energy and dedicated process optimizations (“Abwärme-Kataster”)
• External influence of rising energy costs and internal corporate decarbonization goals motivate energy savings initiatives.
• Ideation of several individual heat integration initiatives, including use of heat pumps.

Target State:

• Waste heat potential is determined, and EnEfG requirements are fulfilled.
• Initiatives across the site are evaluated, implemented and the site has state-of-the-technology heat integration.

Use of heat pumps for local hot water and/or steam production reduce purchase of steam and help reducing utilities costs and CO2 emissions (assuming electricity for operation is green)