USG Industrial Utilities delivers steam to several industrial companies on industrial park Chemelot in Geleen. This steam delivery is done via a large and extensive steam grid with pressures between 3 and 140 bar. At the lowest pressure level of 3 bar a surplus can arise that cannot be valorised. Moreover, on several pressure levels there is regularly  too little flow, which has consequences for the stability (pressure and temperature) of the steam grid.

The technical and economical possibilities for the application of mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) are analysed in this case via a quickscan. A specific aspect in this situation is the fluctuation of the 3 bar steam supply. This can be easily be

handled with a piston compressor. To ensure the payback it is important that there is a steam surplus during a large part of the year. The upgrading of steam to higher pressures (>25 bar) has been analysed. It has been shown that this process is technically feasible, a higher steam supply (>10 t/h) is needed to make it economically interesting though.

The analysis on the possibilities of steam recompression towards 100 bar showed that this is technically possible. If steam recompression is also economically feasible and if it will be applied on Chemelot is still under debate.

Also interested in a quickscan MVR? Please contact René Waggeveld