#Industry News
THIS MAKES NITROGEN PRODUCTION MORE SUSTAINABLE
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS ENABLE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY AT THE SAME TIME
In addition to economic performance, companies are increasingly focusing on sustainability. Energy-saving processes are finding their way into business practice more frequently in order to protect the environment and the climate. But the use of sustainable processes also offers economic advantages. By using energy-saving hydrogen and heat recovery technologies in the context of in-house production of nitrogen (N2), not only can operating costs be saved to a significant extent. This also enables the use of federal grants.
Nitrogen is used as an inert and process gas in numerous industries to prevent oxidation, fires and explosions. The production of the gas directly on site is a very inexpensive and environmentally friendly option. It allows any desired amount of N2 to be supplied 24/7 and protects companies from delivery bottlenecks. The nitrogen generators used for this separate the N2 molecules from the ambient air from the oxygen molecules with the help of the PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) process and only consume a very small amount of electricity (150 W). However, compressed air is required for N2 production. This is generated by compressed air compressors, which compress the air and pass it on to the generator. The process of generating compressed air is fraught with losses because a large part of the energy supplied is given off as heat. Although the process already has significant cost advantages compared to the delivery of liquids, this is a suitable starting point for further optimizing production and increasing the efficiency of energy use.
SUSTAINABLE ACTION SECURES THE FUTURE
German companies have recognized that sustainable production has a major impact on their competitiveness. They often take on responsibility for sustainable business in the sense of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This also includes investments in the economical use of natural resources and in protecting the environment. These investments in environmentally friendly technologies initially tie up funds, but the effort pays off. By reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during production, a contribution is made to avoiding anthropogenic climate change. In addition, these future-oriented companies benefit economically from their sustainable actions. Above all, the savings in energy costs should be mentioned here. Compliance with environmental regulations also minimizes expenses for eco and energy taxes or for the purchase of environmental licenses. Another economic incentive are federal grants for investments in energy-saving technologies. And finally, the commitment is worthwhile, as more and more companies are scrutinizing the CSR profile of their partner and supplier companies and customers are increasingly paying attention to the sustainability of their purchased products. In this way, environmental compatibility becomes a competitive factor.
ENERGY SAVING THROUGH HYDROGEN AND HEAT RECOVERY
How can companies save energy and thus costs and CO2 in nitrogen production? Inmatec offers integrated solutions that help to significantly reduce the primary energy demand when generating N2.
With the help of innovative hydrogen technology, the compressed air demand for N2 generation can be reduced. To do this, ambient air is fed into the N2 generator via an air compressor, which filters the oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules out of the air. The nitrogen obtained in this way, which has a quality of 2.5 to 3.0, is enriched with tiny amounts of hydrogen in an NKat hydrogen catalyst. By reacting with the residual oxygen, the nitrogen is purified to a quality of 5.0 or even 6.0 (99.9999%). The technical renewal makes it possible to produce a larger amount of high-purity nitrogen with a significantly reduced compressed air requirement and an air factor from 2.9 and thus to save up to 70% energy.
Air compressors convert the majority of the electrical drive energy into thermal energy when the air is compressed. About 96% of the energy fed-in is available as usable heat. The waste heat can be used for heating rooms and production facilities or for process heating via an integrated heat recovery system. A plate heat exchanger system also enables hot water to be generated from the compressor waste heat at a temperature of up to 70 oC. This can be fed into central heating or domestic water systems. In addition to conventional screw compressors, compressed air heat and power plants (DHKW) with natural gas engines for generating compressed air can also be integrated in the Inmatec systems.
The complete systems for N2 generation thus make a major contribution to increasing energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions. Due to the on-site production of nitrogen, there is also no need for truck deliveries of alternative liquid nitrogen.
BAFA FUNDING TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS
The Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) provides an additional economic incentive with the promotion of energy efficiency and process heat from renewable energies in the economy (EEW). The amount of funding is calculated according to the CO2 reduction achieved through the investment. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) receive 700 euros, non-SMEs 500 euros per ton of CO2 savings.
Inmatec customers can acquire a considerable amount of BAFA subsidies by investing in an energy-saving N2 generation system. The new system with hydrogen and heat recovery technologies is compared with the on-site nitrogen generation without energy-saving technologies. For example, a company that produces 100 m3 of nitrogen per hour with a purity of 5.0 in three-shift operation requires a compressed air volume of 300 m3/h with an IMT PNC 9300 nitrogen generator and an NKat 100 hydrogen catalyst. This corresponds to 240,000 KWh of electricity and 129 tons of CO2 (according to BAFA 0.537 kg/KWh) per year. The compared system IMT PNC 9700 without NKat has a compressed air demand of 659 m3/h with 527,200 KWh of electricity and 283 tons of CO2 per year. Thanks to the CO2 savings in the amount of 154 tons, the one-time grant amounts to 107,800 euros as a non-repayable grant.
LOW N2 AND ENERGY COSTS, SHORT AMORTIZATION TIMES
Customers not only benefit from the grant, but also permanently reduce energy costs through the implementation of the new system. By reducing the compressed air demands, the company described above lowers the N2 cubic meter price including hydrogen costs by approx. 55% and thus saves almost 63,000 euros in N2 production every year. As part of the heat recovery, a reduction in heating costs is also achieved. This amounts to 18,400 euros per year. Thanks to the significant savings of 81,400 euros in total, the company has achieved a payback period of around 2 years for the investments made. Further energy savings and a reduction in the EEG surcharge would be possible through the use of energy-efficient compressed air heating power stations. When using self-produced electricity, even prices of 1 cent/m3 nitrogen and thus additional savings are conceivable.
The nitrogen production directly on site with the help of OnSite system solutions as well as the use of energy-saving technologies has great potential for the future. Through sustainable production and social responsibility, companies secure competitive advantages and protect the environment.
