Outotec and Alunorte receive energy efficiency recognition at Hannover Messe
OUTOTEC OYJ PRESS RELEASE, APRIL 28, 2010 AT 9.00 AM
Outotec and Alunorte receive energy efficiency recognition at Hannover Messe
Brazilian alumina producer Alunorte S.A. has received "Special Recognition" award handed out for energy efficiency during this year's global industrial technology exhibition, the Hannover Messe 2010. Alunorte uses Outotec® calcination technology in its production.
"We are extremely happy for Alunorte, with whom we have built a very long and satisfying relationship over many years of working together. The fact that Alunorte was recognized for this prestigious award based on solutions we provided them shows what great partnership can lead to," stated Dr. Peter Weber, president of Energy, Light Metals and Environmental Solutions at Outotec.
Alunorte was presented with the "Special Recognition" award for using optimization processes in its cyclones to improve heat transfer and cut down on pressure losses thus resulting in energy savings and more stable operation.
Outotec, a global leader in minerals and metals processing technology, was responsible for designing the alumina calcining processes, in which the separation of particles and gaseous media in the cyclones is more efficient, thus resulting in a 6-percent savings in energy. Specifically, the improvements to the cyclones have helped Alunorte reduce energy consumption during calcination from 3,000 kJ/kg to 2,790 kJ/kg. In annual production terms this translates into considerable energy savings of around 56 million kWh, which equals approximately 18,000 tonnes in CO2 emission reductions.
"From the very beginning of this project, Alunorte wanted energy efficiency to be a priority and to ensure that this efficiency was achieved in a sustainable manner, which would have significant impact on reducing emissions into the environment," commented Daryush Khoshneviss, industrial director at Alunorte.
The energy-saving solution stems from an R&D project realized in cooperation with Braunschweig and Hamburg universities and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).
Over 90 entries were received for this year's competition and a jury of leading independent experts from politics, business and science as well as important trade media determined the finalists and eventual winners. The jury emphasized not only the actual energy savings before and after the solution was implemented, but also the general relevance of the solution with regard to climate change, the ability to apply the solution to other customers, the economic feasibility and the innovation.
"We have always kept in mind the sustainability of our customer's production when developing our technology solutions, and we constantly strive to minimize energy consumption in our designs. By integrating as many closed systems as possible, the raw material is utilized in the most efficient manner and emissions are kept to a bare minimum," noted Outotec CEO Pertti Korhonen.
For further information please contact:
OUTOTEC OYJ
Dr Michael Missalla, Vice President - Alumina Technologies
Tel. +49 6171 9693 234
Ms Eila Paatela, Vice President - Corporate Communications
Tel. +358 20 529 2004, +358 400 817 198
e-mails: firstname.lastname@outotec.com
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