UNEX invests into renewable energy resources
Uničov, March 16, 2009
UNEX engineering-metallurgical group realizes the first phase of investment into renewable energy resources, which it considers to be one of its strategic priorities. The utilization of these technologies has not significantly spread into the manufacturing industry so far. The biomass based renewable energy resources, which UNEX is starting to use at its East Slovakian plants in Prakovce and Snina, are proof of an effort to gain technological advancement and consequently a competitive advantage in this field.
“The prices of fuels and energies are very unstable and from a long term point of view show a continuing upward trend. At the same time we expect a further tightening of the restrictions on the limits for emissions into the atmosphere. Because of this we started searching – earlier than others – for significant savings in our energy management, while maintaining the required output,” says Mr. Boris Keka, the spokesman of UNEX engineering-metallurgical group. “One of the results is the application of a unique mobile solution for a source of heat using biomass, which UNEX expects to gradually make it largely independent from the conventional sources in the field of heat supply.”
When searching for an economically efficient source of heat, the combustion of biomass was evaluated to have the best prospects for appliances with working temperatures up to 100°C, i.e. in particular the hot-water heating systems of industrial hall extensions and drying technological processes. Its prerequisites also include the ability to procure cheap biomass (usually waste wood chips). Great emphasis has been placed on the automation and functional reliability of the appliance. The relative mobility of the appliance enables it to change its output and efficiency in accordance with current needs (e.g. when developing or relocating the production). It is possible to relocate the appliance in just a few days.
The first such project to be commissioned is the construction of a heat source using biomass for the new painting unit at the UNEX Slovakia plant in Snina (a subsidiary of the UNEX group). The original pilot solution was used in this case, for which heat sources with 2x320 kW output were placed into standard ISO containers. The heating set includes another container, which contains the fuel (wood chips) storage and its automatic feeder.
Two similar appliances are now being commissioned, another at the Snina Plant and also in Prakovce, specifically for the heating and preparation of hot water for the administration and sanitary buildings. Here again the automatic unmanned sources will be installed in container sets with an output of up to 500kW. For the whole year these sources are capable of providing heat supplied via a central source on the Plant premises, replacing what had previously been purchased from external producers. The financial return on investment has been calculated at approximately 3 years.
It is possible to specifically demonstrate the investment parameters based upon the example of the project in Prakovce, where the heating production costs are roughly 50% when compared with the cost of purchasing from a conventional central gas cogeneration source within the plant complex. The ecological effect is not negligible either: The original source consumed approximately 190,000m3 of natural gas per year, which represents an emission of roughly 360,000kg of CO2 greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
Once this technology is verified by industrial practice, the UNEX engineering-metallurgical group is ready to invest and commission similar energy sources in its other plant complexes. At the same time, it will continue efforts to search for an efficient application of other kinds of renewable energy resources.
