Competitiveness and resource efficiency in

furnace technology

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EUnited.

Michel BOYER CMI Industry February 14th, 2011

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Objectives
n Present and appreciate technological status and trends
n Propose technical and other policy solutions to achieve energy savings
& lower environmental impact (example from steel industry).
n Using Case Studies from steel industry(CS):
n Short term:
n Improvement of energy efficiency of existing equipments:
implementation of Best Available Technologies (B.A.T.) for
revamping. (CS#1 to CS#3)
n Medium term:
Application of new developments (CS#4)
n Global approach (CS#5)
Medium/long term:
n R&D (CS#6)
n

APPLICABLE to all energy intensive industries producing materials.

[Michel BOYER]

14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Furnaces design in steel industry: chronology

Post war
high steel market
expansion

Kyoto
protocol

Oil crisis

Computer
simulation

Metallurgy
developments

Oil at
100$/barrel,
Environmental
Pressure,
Electricity market
liberalisation
World
Crisis

1950

1960

Focus on
productivity
[Michel BOYER]

1970

First energy
savings
considerations

1980

1990

More flexible
furnaces

2000

2010

Energy savings
+
Environmental
pressure

Intensive
Cost cutting
+
Technology
breakthroughs

14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Short term: B.A.T. for revamping

Background
n From 2006 a significant part of furnace revampings in Europe
integrated energy savings & lower emissions as parameters in
economic evaluation, requiring implementation of Best Available
Technologies (B.A.T.) for combustion & energy recovery due to :
n Necessity to minimize the environmental impact of existing furnaces,
n

Necessity to reduce operational costs, mainly fuel consumption and

maintenance costs.

n But in all cases this was not the unique goal of the revampings
motivated by the necessity to adapt the furnaces operating conditions
to the new world context and justifying short payback:
n Flexibility increase,
n

Product quality increase,

Productivity increase (*).

(*) Productivity increase is no longer a driving force due to the foreseen long term overcapacity
In Europe.
[Michel BOYER]

14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Short term B.A.T. for revamping: CS # 1

Regenerative burners in radiant tubes furnace
n Objective:
n To increase performances of one Continuous Galvanizing Line (C.G.L.) furnace (fce.):
n
n

Capacity increase,
Consumption savings.

n Solution:
n Implementation of regenerative burners,
n

Existing radiant tubes are unchanged to limit the modification time and to limit CAPEX.

n Results:
n The savings for maximum yearly output (450,000 tons per year) of the furnace are:
10.6 GWh or approx. 1,000 T.O.E. (Tons of Oil Equivalent)
1,300 tons of CO2 saved
24 tons of NOx avoided
Benchmark: Provided extensive study for each furnace, this technology could be applicable for :
n
105 furnaces for Continuous Galvanizing Lines (C.G.L.) in E.U. (from which only one under construction will
be fully equipped with regenerative burners)
n

65 furnaces for Continuous Annealing Lines (C.A.L.) in E.U. no one is equipped with regenerative burners

[Michel BOYER]

14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Short term: B.A.T. for revamping: CS # 2

Regenerative & flameless burners in rotary hearth fce.
n Objective:
n To increase productivity, to improve the efficiency, to decrease Nox emissions
& to comply with norms for a rotary hearth furnace

Conventional

NOx emissions

n Solution : Implementation of flameless regenerative burners

Flameless

n Results:
n The savings for maximum yearly output of the furnace (90000 tons per year) are
the following:
8.1 GWh or ~800 T.O.E.
33,000 tons of CO2 saved
1 ton of NOx avoided
Benchmark: Provided extensive study for each furnace, this technology could be applicable for :
n
About 20 similar furnaces in E.U. not equipped with regenerative burners. (Not taken into account the
walking beam furnaces, annealing and tempering furnaces involved in tube manufacturing process where
same order of magnitude of savings can be also reached).
[Michel BOYER]

14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Short term: B.A.T. for revamping: CS # 3

New generation of Math. Model for Annealing fce
n Objective:
n Management in full automatic mode of Continuous Annealing Line (C.A.L.) furnace
dedicated to produce tin plate to increase capacity, increase product quality &
decrease consumptions (gas, N2 & H2)
n Solution:
n Implementation of new generation of mathematical model
to replace old control

n Results:
n Line productivity was increased: approx. 7% in line average speed,
n Yearly consumption gain at maximum output are :
67 T.O.E. (Direct + impact on final product)

Benchmark: Provided extensive study for each furnace, this technology could be applicable for :
n

170 furnaces for Strip Processing Lines (C.G.L. & C.A.L.) in E.U. (1/3 have already old generations of
mathematical models which could be replaced as per explained in this C.S., 2/3 are not equipped with
mathematical models for which gains can be multiplied by 3 to 5 ).

[Michel BOYER]

14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Short term: B.A.T. for revamping:

Conclusion
n Performing technologies for energy saving or emissions lowering are existing on
the market but not always used.
n In the previous case studies the main driving force was not environment or
consumption (leading alone to >> 5 years payback) but:
n Productivity increase (8 to 22%) (no more considered in EU overcapacity)
n Product quality improvement
n If B.A.T. implementation is imposed by E.U. for environment or consumption, the
additional cost/ton of final product will jeopardize European producers
competiveness with risks of relocation outside E.U.
n Some foreign countries (China for instance) are far more advanced for B.A.T.
technologies implementation:
n CAPEX payback is not always considered in state owned companies (indirect
subsidies)
n

Premium for technology transfer to local suppliers is generally admitted

n Industry needs financial support (direct or indirect via third-party investors) to

demonstrate and implement customized energy savings and emissions lowering
solutions (3 to 6 months pre-studies required for each project) while keeping
global competitiveness.
[Michel BOYER]

14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Medium term - Application of new developments

Heat recovery from low t sources: CS # 4
Application of heat recovery from low temperature
sources for reheating furnaces for slabs:
nEg.: Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) not yet used in this
industry: the low temperature heat is converted into useful work,
that can itself be converted into electricity.
Note: The liberalization of electricity market opens a window to
extend this technology to other intensive energy industries

Results:
n Out of 11 MW lost by the fumes of the furnaces, 6 are recovered to produce 1.2
MW of electricity
This would represent yearly:
Approx. 1,100 T.O.E.
2,500 tons of CO2 saved
550,000 of electricity produced (*)
(*)

Hypothesis on the electricity price : 80 /MWh (Belgium)

Benchmark:
n
Installed capacity in E.U. represents approx. 200 times above figures if ORC is installed on all reheating fces.
[Michel BOYER]

14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Medium term - Global approach

Introduction
n A global pluri-disciplinary approach is necessary in medium term to evaluate &
optimize energy in a specific industrial site by placing sources in front of sinks:
n Use in efficient way
n

Recovery from any & all sources

Storage & transformation if any

Distribution to any potential users

For one industrial unit (process unit), one industrial plant or one industrial area
involving several plants.
n Such approach is under investigation for one industrial unit and involves already
several partners:
n Energy providers
n

Equipment suppliers (for B.A.T. implementation)

Industrial Customers (for investment & best operating practices)

Banks

[Michel BOYER]

14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Medium term - Global approach

Project of steel processing line furnace: CS#5
Hot water : LOST

Hot waste gases : LOST

Natural gas

heating

Conventional

Cooling gas

soaking

cooling
Hot waste gases : LOST

Hot rolls

Natural gas

preheat

heating

soaking

Cool 1

Cool 2

Cool 3

403C

Global approach
n Potential results:

450C

386C

330C
70C
Cold water : 20

132C
Water at 123C for plant or urban utilities

n For a 180.000 tons/year processing line, the following results on yearly energy
savings have been calculated:
Available water at 123C for plant or urban utilities :
20 GWh / year or 2000 T.O.E.
Saving on Natural gas :
8 GWh / year or 800 T.O.E
[Michel BOYER]

14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Medium term New developments & global approach

Conclusion
n Medium term future:
n Necessity to find and convince industrial partner to have an industrial pilot project:
n Industrial risk must be shared between supplier & customer
n Financing scheme must be developed and should involve end users, thirdparty investors, banks, incentives (green certificates, others)
n Above global approach should be extended in a medium-long term:
n To all potential users such as:
n Others plants in industrial areas
n Energy providers & distributors
n Local communities (urban heating for instance)
n Etc
n To all potential actors:
n
n
n
n
n
n

[Michel BOYER]

Energy providers
Equipment suppliers (for B.A.T. implementation)
Industrial Customers (for investment & best operating practices)
Investors
Political decision-makers at local, national & European level to support & give
incentives
Environmental & energy standardization committees
14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

R&D, new developments: CS # 6

New patented cooling for steel processing lines
n Objective:
n A breakthrough in strip cooling process to produce high resistance steels required
for automotive with less energy consumption (target 4 times less) & emissions.
n Action plan for the development (5 years)
n

Theoretical development (PhD thesis)

Finished(2007-2010)

Development of the design tools

Finished (end 2009)

Finished (mid 2010)

Industrialization process
n
Fluids diagrams
n
Mechanical design
n
Standards
n
Process control
Experiments at semi-industrial scale

Industrial commercialization

From end 2011

In progress mid 2010

n Needs:
n Necessity to finance development action plan
n

Necessity to find and convince industrial partner to have an industrial project:

n Industrial risk must be shared between supplier & customer
n Financing scheme must be developed and should involve end users, thirdparty investors, banks, incentives (green certificates, others)

[Michel BOYER]

14th February 2010

Conclusions: main gains in energy and resource

efficiency are coming and will come from INDUSTRY
but EC has a crucial role to play
Recommend EC
Dont recommend EC
n Acknowledge the role of multiple
actors and seek coherency
n

e.g. HIGH standards of Best Available

Technology PLUS financing mechanisms

n Promote industrial cooperation

(global approach) also in R+D
n Integrated Pollution Prevention and
Control (IPPC) directive (under
review)

n Unfocused and inappropriate measures

proposed under EuP (Eco design
Directive) (2009/125/EC)
n General measures from the product
perspective wont cover complex
plants or systems like industrial
furnaces
n

Too heterogeneous as vast majority of

furnaces are custom built and vary
according to available fuel, application,
large variety of processes, input materials,
temperatures, atmospheres.

Difficult standard extrapolation of CS

scenario

n Support from ISO standards (in

progress)
n Look to disseminate best practices
n Anticipate key levers such as
regulatory reporting
n
(transparency and incentives)
e.g. from Greenhouse Gas &
Emissions Trading Scheme (GHG n
ETS).
[Michel
n BOYER]
Time

to impact = SHORT

Components approach. is difficult to

implement (same reasons)
Time to impact = Fairly LONG (contrary
to the Commission expectations)
14th February 2010

CMI: a member of EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association

Thank you for your attention

[Michel BOYER]

14th February 2010