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BRUSSELS, (PPI Magazine) -Advances in double mechanical seals and tank systems helped achieve a return on investment of fewer than 12 months for a South African paper mill

Fig. 1- a) Colder water is supplied to the mechanical seal, which is in tur n heated up by the seal faces. This ‘warmer' water then rises back into the vessel, raising the bulk temperature of the vessel, b) The vessel then loses heat to the atmosphere which results in the denser colder water flowing back to the bottom of the vessel and back to the seal faces.

Water is a fundamental and valuable resource within the pulp and paper industry, and makes up a significant proportion of the total cost of running a plant. Aside from the financial implications of using large volumes of water, environmental considerations are becoming more important. Reducing water consumption and accurate water-balance planning over the long term are therefore critical to the success of a business.

The industry is developing at a dynamic pace with growing environmental awareness, changing customer expectations and greater competition all driving innovation around ways to save water. The benefit of investing in mechanical seals for pumps and other rotating equipment is not just about reducing water usage, though. Traditional packing causes shaft damage and leakage, which affects surrounding machinery and means that the equipment has to be regularly stripped down and repaired. Specifying the right sealing solution can reduce energy consumption, too, by allowing the rotating shaft to rotate more freely, compared to traditional packing, which can be like operating a piece of equipment with the brakes on.

Ineffective mechanical seal support

Previous practices of supporting packing and mechanical seal systems using quench-to-drain flushing resulted in the use of large amounts of water, and, in some cases, produced water effluent that had to be dealt with, adding more cost. When using quench-to-drain, the packing is flushed with water to keep the packing lubricated and cool. With mechanical seals, pressurized plant water is taken and injected into the ‘flush' port of the seal in an effort to keep contamination away from the seal faces. The two drawbacks of this approach are a) high water consumption and b) the high cost of removing the injected water by evaporation further along in the manufacturing process.

To put all this into context, typical water consumption can be more than 14 liters (3 gallons) a minute, which totals 7.9 million L/yr (1.7 million gallons) per pump. All these different kinds of quench-to-drain flushing systems, although still commonly used on both gland packing and single mechanical seals, go hand in hand with high water consumption, high maintenance costs and can lead to poor equipment reliability.

Double mechanical seal with continuous loop water management

To address and overcome these issues, the industry has developed a range of modular systems that bring about a step change in mechanical seal support methodology. These systems are maintenance friendly and require no external compressed air or gas pressurization. They are also largely self-regulating and self-operating, and do not require any manual intervention for refilling.

All of the drawbacks of quench-to-drain flushing can be eliminated with this kind of double mechanical seal and support system. A double seal has two sets of faces: one set sealing to the process fluid and one set sealing to atmosphere, with a barrier region in between the faces, Fig. 1.

A properly designed seal support system (tank or ‘seal pot') supplies a clean, cool liquid - usually water - to the barrier space between the seals, at a higher pressure than the process fluid in the pump. This differential pressure forces the clean barrier fluid across the faces, forming a stable fluid film.

As the mechanical seal faces generate heat, the hot water in the barrier zone of the seal rises to the tank. The tank radiates heat to the atmosphere and the cooler, denser water sinks back down to the seal. This process utilizes the thermosiphon effect, and it enables the tank to provide the mechanical seal with a constant supply of fresh, cool, clean, pressurized water for the fluid film. No water leaves the system, which means it instantly cuts water use by as much as 99.9%

These systems are maintenance friendly and require no external compressed air or gas pressurization, and have no moving parts. They are also largely self-regulating and self-operating, and do not require any manual intervention for refilling.

Case study - Mondi Richards Bay

Mondi decided to replace quench-to-drain flushing and lubricating systems fitted to mechanical seals at its Richards Bay (South Africa) mill with AESSEAL®systems incorporating a continuous loop water management design. High water usage, concerns over MTBF and energy consumption had prompted the company to look for a better sealing solution.

The replacement system, incorporating double mechanical seals and continuous loop water management system, has cut water usage at the plant by more than 63 million L/mo, helping to conserve this scarce resource in northern KwaZulu Natal. The replacement design was supplied by Easy Coat, the AESSEAL®agent for Richards Bay. The system comprised of 167 type-SW2 and SW3 water management systems that use recycled water to cool, lubricate and flush mechanical seals in the plant.

The SW2 system uses an integral vessel to store flushing water for continuous recycling. The system is connected directly to the plant water line which becomes its fluid and pressure source. The pressure is adjusted so that the barrier fluid pressure within the system is maintained at 1 bar above that within the stuffing box. This results in a pressure differential that keeps harmful products away from mechanical seal faces and increases seal and pump reliability.

The barrier fluid is circulated to and from the double mechanical seal by the thermosyphon effect which minimizes water wastage and provides more efficient cooling than the once-through quench-to-drain design. The SW3 system is supplied with finned tubing as standard so that it can be used on high heat applications and Mondi now uses a mix of SW2 and SW3 systems according to process product temperature.

Investing in the continuous loop water management system has helped Mondi cut yearly water consumption by over 750 million liters at the plant and achieve a return on investment of fewer than 12 months. There has also been a 95%+ reduction in unplanned stoppages and no incidents relating to the seal system.

Conclusion

It was water scarcity in the Richards Bay region that gave AESSEAL®and Easy Coat the opportunity to present Mondi with a water saving solution. Mondi's own environmental department at the mill supported the proposal because Easy Coat was able to show how it had cut water usage at other Mondi locations over the last 12 years, whilst achieving a MTBF of over six years.

The 167 competitor cooling and lubrication systems to be replaced were consuming an average of 63,210 kiloliters of water every month. With the cost of water calculated at R 2,50 (£0.13) per kilolitre, excluding the effluent treatment costs, water savings of R 158,025 (£8,217) per month will deliver a return on investment in the new AESSEAL®systems in under a year, and saving more than 4.5 billion liters of water in the next six years.

As can be seen in this example, double mechanical seals do work. Not only that, but they are collectively eliminating the use of billions of gallons water each year, while simultaneously improving the MTBF of the pumps.

Rob Adam has been working in the mechanical seal industry for the last 35 years and is currently sales director, AESSEAL® Sub­Sahara Africa, www.aesseal.com.

 

How to save 750 million liters of water a year

10/27/2015 - 07:20

BRUSSELS, (PPI Magazine) -Advances in double mechanical seals and tank systems helped achieve a return on investment of fewer than 12 months for a South African paper mill

Fig. 1- a) Colder water is supplied to the mechanical seal, which is in tur n heated up by the seal faces. This ‘warmer' water then rises back into the vessel, raising the bulk temperature of the vessel, b) The vessel then loses heat to the atmosphere which results in the denser colder water flowing back to the bottom of the vessel and back to the seal faces.

Water is a fundamental and valuable resource within the pulp and paper industry, and makes up a significant proportion of the total cost of running a plant. Aside from the financial implications of using large volumes of water, environmental considerations are becoming more important. Reducing water consumption and accurate water-balance planning over the long term are therefore critical to the success of a business.

The industry is developing at a dynamic pace with growing environmental awareness, changing customer expectations and greater competition all driving innovation around ways to save water. The benefit of investing in mechanical seals for pumps and other rotating equipment is not just about reducing water usage, though. Traditional packing causes shaft damage and leakage, which affects surrounding machinery and means that the equipment has to be regularly stripped down and repaired. Specifying the right sealing solution can reduce energy consumption, too, by allowing the rotating shaft to rotate more freely, compared to traditional packing, which can be like operating a piece of equipment with the brakes on.

Ineffective mechanical seal support

Previous practices of supporting packing and mechanical seal systems using quench-to-drain flushing resulted in the use of large amounts of water, and, in some cases, produced water effluent that had to be dealt with, adding more cost. When using quench-to-drain, the packing is flushed with water to keep the packing lubricated and cool. With mechanical seals, pressurized plant water is taken and injected into the ‘flush' port of the seal in an effort to keep contamination away from the seal faces. The two drawbacks of this approach are a) high water consumption and b) the high cost of removing the injected water by evaporation further along in the manufacturing process.

To put all this into context, typical water consumption can be more than 14 liters (3 gallons) a minute, which totals 7.9 million L/yr (1.7 million gallons) per pump. All these different kinds of quench-to-drain flushing systems, although still commonly used on both gland packing and single mechanical seals, go hand in hand with high water consumption, high maintenance costs and can lead to poor equipment reliability.

Double mechanical seal with continuous loop water management

To address and overcome these issues, the industry has developed a range of modular systems that bring about a step change in mechanical seal support methodology. These systems are maintenance friendly and require no external compressed air or gas pressurization. They are also largely self-regulating and self-operating, and do not require any manual intervention for refilling.

All of the drawbacks of quench-to-drain flushing can be eliminated with this kind of double mechanical seal and support system. A double seal has two sets of faces: one set sealing to the process fluid and one set sealing to atmosphere, with a barrier region in between the faces, Fig. 1.

A properly designed seal support system (tank or ‘seal pot') supplies a clean, cool liquid - usually water - to the barrier space between the seals, at a higher pressure than the process fluid in the pump. This differential pressure forces the clean barrier fluid across the faces, forming a stable fluid film.

As the mechanical seal faces generate heat, the hot water in the barrier zone of the seal rises to the tank. The tank radiates heat to the atmosphere and the cooler, denser water sinks back down to the seal. This process utilizes the thermosiphon effect, and it enables the tank to provide the mechanical seal with a constant supply of fresh, cool, clean, pressurized water for the fluid film. No water leaves the system, which means it instantly cuts water use by as much as 99.9%

These systems are maintenance friendly and require no external compressed air or gas pressurization, and have no moving parts. They are also largely self-regulating and self-operating, and do not require any manual intervention for refilling.

Case study - Mondi Richards Bay

Mondi decided to replace quench-to-drain flushing and lubricating systems fitted to mechanical seals at its Richards Bay (South Africa) mill with AESSEAL®systems incorporating a continuous loop water management design. High water usage, concerns over MTBF and energy consumption had prompted the company to look for a better sealing solution.

The replacement system, incorporating double mechanical seals and continuous loop water management system, has cut water usage at the plant by more than 63 million L/mo, helping to conserve this scarce resource in northern KwaZulu Natal. The replacement design was supplied by Easy Coat, the AESSEAL®agent for Richards Bay. The system comprised of 167 type-SW2 and SW3 water management systems that use recycled water to cool, lubricate and flush mechanical seals in the plant.

The SW2 system uses an integral vessel to store flushing water for continuous recycling. The system is connected directly to the plant water line which becomes its fluid and pressure source. The pressure is adjusted so that the barrier fluid pressure within the system is maintained at 1 bar above that within the stuffing box. This results in a pressure differential that keeps harmful products away from mechanical seal faces and increases seal and pump reliability.

The barrier fluid is circulated to and from the double mechanical seal by the thermosyphon effect which minimizes water wastage and provides more efficient cooling than the once-through quench-to-drain design. The SW3 system is supplied with finned tubing as standard so that it can be used on high heat applications and Mondi now uses a mix of SW2 and SW3 systems according to process product temperature.

Investing in the continuous loop water management system has helped Mondi cut yearly water consumption by over 750 million liters at the plant and achieve a return on investment of fewer than 12 months. There has also been a 95%+ reduction in unplanned stoppages and no incidents relating to the seal system.

Conclusion

It was water scarcity in the Richards Bay region that gave AESSEAL®and Easy Coat the opportunity to present Mondi with a water saving solution. Mondi's own environmental department at the mill supported the proposal because Easy Coat was able to show how it had cut water usage at other Mondi locations over the last 12 years, whilst achieving a MTBF of over six years.

The 167 competitor cooling and lubrication systems to be replaced were consuming an average of 63,210 kiloliters of water every month. With the cost of water calculated at R 2,50 (£0.13) per kilolitre, excluding the effluent treatment costs, water savings of R 158,025 (£8,217) per month will deliver a return on investment in the new AESSEAL®systems in under a year, and saving more than 4.5 billion liters of water in the next six years.

As can be seen in this example, double mechanical seals do work. Not only that, but they are collectively eliminating the use of billions of gallons water each year, while simultaneously improving the MTBF of the pumps.

Rob Adam has been working in the mechanical seal industry for the last 35 years and is currently sales director, AESSEAL® Sub­Sahara Africa, www.aesseal.com.

 

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REMSHALDEN and STUTTGART, Germany, 28 September 2015 (Press Release) - Market launch of a new sustainable insulated package solution on a straw and corrugated cardboard basis for the trade with cooled foods.

The Klingele Group, one of the leading independent manufacturers of corrugated raw paper and cardboard packaging has entered a strategic partnership with the mechanical engineering company Landpack. Together they will focus on the production of environmentally-friendly shipping packaging. Recent years have seen the Klingele Group advance to becoming one of the leading providers of sustainable packaging solutions for online trading. In co-operating with Landpack, the producer of innovative straw-based insulation packaging, Klingele has decided to expand into the cooled food items packaging sector.

Mail order has experienced considerable growth in recent years. Klingele develops packaging solutions for the individual requirements of this branch, which cover the central requirements of product safety and material-use efficiency. In so doing, Klingele supports the business model of the online sellers, enabling them to save resources, thereby minimising costs. Examples of this include the packaging concepts FastFix, which works entirely without filling material and ClickFix, which secures its contents via an especially-effective click closure. Klingele also provides logistics and consultation services for the optimisation of packaging processes, machine concepts and in-house logistics.

The new co-operation with Landpack has been made as a result of the increasing growth in online food purchases. Landpack has developed an insulating packaging made of straw panels, which is combined with Klingele corrugated cardboard to form high-performance and environmentally-friendly dispatch packaging. The Landbox® was specially designed to meet the needs of those dispatching fresh and cooled food and represents the first environmentally-friendly alternative to polystyrene packaging. The use of straw also cushions shock-sensitive goods and enables their safe delivery.Landpack Managing director Dr Thomas Maier-Eschenlohr: "Straw represents the ideal insulating material - it is hygienic, attractive and fitted with a hi-tech bio-polymer structure. We aim to find new uses for what is currently a neglected material."

Landbox: the environmentally-friendly recyclable product

Sustainability, resource and energy-efficiency characterise not only the Landbox, but also its production and disposal. The Landpack insulating panels are produced in a carbon-neutral fashion. Pure straw is processed in a low-energy and food items-appropriate fashion without the addition of extra materials. As an agricultural by-product, it is perfectly-suited for use in the Landbox and later can be disposed as compost. The manufacture of the Landbox requires a fraction of the energy required for the production of its polystyrene alternative. The straw panels are encased with a 100% recyclable Klingele corrugated cardboard box. These can be fully recycled and are returned to the production process. The whole packaging concept protects scarce natural resources and saves trouble with disposal.

"We have many years of experience in the development of tailormade sustainable packaging solutions and know the branch requirements very well," thus Dr. Jan Klingele, managing director of the Klingele Group. "The launch of the Landbox comes at the ideal time, therefore is able to meet the growing need from online traders and customers for a new environmentally-friendly packaging method for goods requiring protection from blows and specific temperature requirements. I am therefore confident that the concept will enjoy resonance on the market and anticipate every success for our new collaboration with Landpack."

The Landbox will be presented at the Klingele stand at this year's FachPack (29.9.-1.10. 2015, Nuremberg, hall 7, stand 138).

 

 

Klingele enters into strategic partnership with Landpack producing green shipping packaging

Posted in: Logistics 10/14/2015 - 14:33

REMSHALDEN and STUTTGART, Germany, 28 September 2015 (Press Release) - Market launch of a new sustainable insulated package solution on a straw and corrugated cardboard basis for the trade with cooled foods.

The Klingele Group, one of the leading independent manufacturers of corrugated raw paper and cardboard packaging has entered a strategic partnership with the mechanical engineering company Landpack. Together they will focus on the production of environmentally-friendly shipping packaging. Recent years have seen the Klingele Group advance to becoming one of the leading providers of sustainable packaging solutions for online trading. In co-operating with Landpack, the producer of innovative straw-based insulation packaging, Klingele has decided to expand into the cooled food items packaging sector.

Mail order has experienced considerable growth in recent years. Klingele develops packaging solutions for the individual requirements of this branch, which cover the central requirements of product safety and material-use efficiency. In so doing, Klingele supports the business model of the online sellers, enabling them to save resources, thereby minimising costs. Examples of this include the packaging concepts FastFix, which works entirely without filling material and ClickFix, which secures its contents via an especially-effective click closure. Klingele also provides logistics and consultation services for the optimisation of packaging processes, machine concepts and in-house logistics.

The new co-operation with Landpack has been made as a result of the increasing growth in online food purchases. Landpack has developed an insulating packaging made of straw panels, which is combined with Klingele corrugated cardboard to form high-performance and environmentally-friendly dispatch packaging. The Landbox® was specially designed to meet the needs of those dispatching fresh and cooled food and represents the first environmentally-friendly alternative to polystyrene packaging. The use of straw also cushions shock-sensitive goods and enables their safe delivery.Landpack Managing director Dr Thomas Maier-Eschenlohr: "Straw represents the ideal insulating material - it is hygienic, attractive and fitted with a hi-tech bio-polymer structure. We aim to find new uses for what is currently a neglected material."

Landbox: the environmentally-friendly recyclable product

Sustainability, resource and energy-efficiency characterise not only the Landbox, but also its production and disposal. The Landpack insulating panels are produced in a carbon-neutral fashion. Pure straw is processed in a low-energy and food items-appropriate fashion without the addition of extra materials. As an agricultural by-product, it is perfectly-suited for use in the Landbox and later can be disposed as compost. The manufacture of the Landbox requires a fraction of the energy required for the production of its polystyrene alternative. The straw panels are encased with a 100% recyclable Klingele corrugated cardboard box. These can be fully recycled and are returned to the production process. The whole packaging concept protects scarce natural resources and saves trouble with disposal.

"We have many years of experience in the development of tailormade sustainable packaging solutions and know the branch requirements very well," thus Dr. Jan Klingele, managing director of the Klingele Group. "The launch of the Landbox comes at the ideal time, therefore is able to meet the growing need from online traders and customers for a new environmentally-friendly packaging method for goods requiring protection from blows and specific temperature requirements. I am therefore confident that the concept will enjoy resonance on the market and anticipate every success for our new collaboration with Landpack."

The Landbox will be presented at the Klingele stand at this year's FachPack (29.9.-1.10. 2015, Nuremberg, hall 7, stand 138).

 

 

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SAO PAULO, 17 September 2015 (Press Release) - Veolia, through its subsidiary Veolia Water Technologies Brazil, was awarded a contract to build three units for demineralized water production, raw water treatment and effluent treatment at Fibria's new pulp production line located in Três Lagoas in Mato Grosso do Sul, a central western state of Brazil.

Fibria is a Brazilian forest-based company and world leader in eucalyptus pulp production. The 26-month EPC contract signed with Veolia is for Project Horizonte 2, which involves the construction, at the Três Lagoas Unit, of a second production line with annual pulp capacity of 1.75 million tons. After the expansion, whose start up is expected in the fourth quarter of 2017, the Mato Grosso do Sul unit will reach full annual production capacity of 3.05 million tons of pulp. As a result, Fibria's total annual pulp production capacity, considering all of its units, will increase from the current 5.3 million tons to over 7 million tons. Fibria's total investment in the expansion of Três Lagoas is equivalent to about $ 2.5 billion.

Veolia will design and build the three water treatment units using cutting-edge, patented Veolia processes. The first unit will use reverse osmosis and condensate polishing to produce 16,600 m3/d of demineralized water to supply the boilers. The second unit will feature the Actiflo® high rate clarification process combined with TGV filters to treat 185,000 m3/d of raw water before it is used in the pulp production process. Finally, the effluents from the pulp plant will go to a third unit where the AnoxKaldnesTM BASTM process will be used to treat 166,000 m3/d of wastewater. This last unit will be designed by Veolia business unit Aquaflow who is specialized in effluent treatment for the pulp & paper industry.

The effluent treatment plant was designed to comply with the most stringent environmental standards enforced in Mato Grosso do Sul, ensuring that the discharged water meets the highest levels of quality. All three water treatment units are to be equipped with processes known for providing efficient, stable and robust treatment in a small footprint, reducing construction costs.

Ruddi De Souza, General Manager of Veolia Water Technologies' design & build activities in Latin America, said: "All around the world, Veolia partners with industries in their search for improved environmental and economic performance. We are very proud to be involved in this project with Fibria, and to work with them towards expending their production in a cost-effective way while conforming with the state of Mato Grosso do Sul's very strict environmental regulations".

The opening of the three treatment units is schedule for the fourth quarter of 2017.

 

 

Fibria selects Veolia to supply all three water units for pulp mill expansion in Brazil

09/21/2015 - 00:39

SAO PAULO, 17 September 2015 (Press Release) - Veolia, through its subsidiary Veolia Water Technologies Brazil, was awarded a contract to build three units for demineralized water production, raw water treatment and effluent treatment at Fibria's new pulp production line located in Três Lagoas in Mato Grosso do Sul, a central western state of Brazil.

Fibria is a Brazilian forest-based company and world leader in eucalyptus pulp production. The 26-month EPC contract signed with Veolia is for Project Horizonte 2, which involves the construction, at the Três Lagoas Unit, of a second production line with annual pulp capacity of 1.75 million tons. After the expansion, whose start up is expected in the fourth quarter of 2017, the Mato Grosso do Sul unit will reach full annual production capacity of 3.05 million tons of pulp. As a result, Fibria's total annual pulp production capacity, considering all of its units, will increase from the current 5.3 million tons to over 7 million tons. Fibria's total investment in the expansion of Três Lagoas is equivalent to about $ 2.5 billion.

Veolia will design and build the three water treatment units using cutting-edge, patented Veolia processes. The first unit will use reverse osmosis and condensate polishing to produce 16,600 m3/d of demineralized water to supply the boilers. The second unit will feature the Actiflo® high rate clarification process combined with TGV filters to treat 185,000 m3/d of raw water before it is used in the pulp production process. Finally, the effluents from the pulp plant will go to a third unit where the AnoxKaldnesTM BASTM process will be used to treat 166,000 m3/d of wastewater. This last unit will be designed by Veolia business unit Aquaflow who is specialized in effluent treatment for the pulp & paper industry.

The effluent treatment plant was designed to comply with the most stringent environmental standards enforced in Mato Grosso do Sul, ensuring that the discharged water meets the highest levels of quality. All three water treatment units are to be equipped with processes known for providing efficient, stable and robust treatment in a small footprint, reducing construction costs.

Ruddi De Souza, General Manager of Veolia Water Technologies' design & build activities in Latin America, said: "All around the world, Veolia partners with industries in their search for improved environmental and economic performance. We are very proud to be involved in this project with Fibria, and to work with them towards expending their production in a cost-effective way while conforming with the state of Mato Grosso do Sul's very strict environmental regulations".

The opening of the three treatment units is schedule for the fourth quarter of 2017.

 

 

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The port of Antwerp will grant a discount to seagoing ships that use alternative technology to reduce emissions of particulates. The new discount comes on top of the existing ESI discount, which means that in some cases ships can benefit from a 30% reduction in the port dues that have to be paid whenever they call at Antwerp. With this additional environmental discount Antwerp Port Authority seeks to encourage investments in green technologies for more sustainable shipping, by supporting and rewarding these technology pioneers. The discount is being introduced for a period of three years and will be gradually reduced.

Despite all efforts so far, shipping still makes a significant contribution towards local pollution, mainly in the form of SOx, NOx and particulates. Various regulatory initiatives to improve this situation have already been taken. One of these is the introduction of standards for sulphur emissions by seagoing ships in the so-called Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs). To meet these stricter standards, ships must either improve the quality or type of fuel used (for example, by switching to low-sulphur fuel such as Marine Gas Oil or LNG), or must install post-combustion systems (e.g. exhaust gas scrubbers) to reduce emissions to acceptable levels. Most shipping companies have let it be known that they prefer to use low-sulphur fuels so as to comply with the stricter sulphur emission standards in the short term. However, the use of LNG or scrubbers offers better environmental performance than low-sulphur fuel, since in addition to reducing sulphur emissions it also cuts other emissions such as particulates and NO2.

Ships can claim the discount if they can demonstrate that they either make effective use of scrubbers (in closed mode) or are powered by LNG for a period of at least 24 hours before they call at the port of Antwerp. Ships powered by LNG can receive a discount of 20%, while those that make use of closed scrubbers can get a discount of 15%. 

Port of Antwerp grants discount for ships with lower particulate emissions

Posted in: Logistics 08/19/2015 - 14:55

The port of Antwerp will grant a discount to seagoing ships that use alternative technology to reduce emissions of particulates. The new discount comes on top of the existing ESI discount, which means that in some cases ships can benefit from a 30% reduction in the port dues that have to be paid whenever they call at Antwerp. With this additional environmental discount Antwerp Port Authority seeks to encourage investments in green technologies for more sustainable shipping, by supporting and rewarding these technology pioneers. The discount is being introduced for a period of three years and will be gradually reduced.

Despite all efforts so far, shipping still makes a significant contribution towards local pollution, mainly in the form of SOx, NOx and particulates. Various regulatory initiatives to improve this situation have already been taken. One of these is the introduction of standards for sulphur emissions by seagoing ships in the so-called Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs). To meet these stricter standards, ships must either improve the quality or type of fuel used (for example, by switching to low-sulphur fuel such as Marine Gas Oil or LNG), or must install post-combustion systems (e.g. exhaust gas scrubbers) to reduce emissions to acceptable levels. Most shipping companies have let it be known that they prefer to use low-sulphur fuels so as to comply with the stricter sulphur emission standards in the short term. However, the use of LNG or scrubbers offers better environmental performance than low-sulphur fuel, since in addition to reducing sulphur emissions it also cuts other emissions such as particulates and NO2.

Ships can claim the discount if they can demonstrate that they either make effective use of scrubbers (in closed mode) or are powered by LNG for a period of at least 24 hours before they call at the port of Antwerp. Ships powered by LNG can receive a discount of 20%, while those that make use of closed scrubbers can get a discount of 15%. 

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HYDERABAD, July 28, 2015 (The Hindu Business Line) -International Paper APPM Ltd has informed BSE that Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board in its Letter dated July 27 has revoked the closure order issued earlier to the manufacturing facility located at Rajahmundry, East Godavari district under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.

The Hindu Business Line - International Paper APPM resumes production

RISI is not responsible for the reliability or availability of content on external websites.

 

International Paper restarts India mill after maintenance shut; pollution agency revokes closure order

08/03/2015 - 14:52

HYDERABAD, July 28, 2015 (The Hindu Business Line) -International Paper APPM Ltd has informed BSE that Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board in its Letter dated July 27 has revoked the closure order issued earlier to the manufacturing facility located at Rajahmundry, East Godavari district under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.

The Hindu Business Line - International Paper APPM resumes production

RISI is not responsible for the reliability or availability of content on external websites.

 

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BRUSSELS (PPI Magazine) -Opportunities now abound for mills to recover, re-use or even sell waste by-products

Waste from paper mills is often sent to landfill. This can be a costly and environmentally sensitive operation. A new alternative - known as waste-to-value - collects, treats, and converts waste into energy or saleable by-products. Innovative technologies for sludge and reject handling, material separation and recovery, and production of renewable energy help you reduce dependency on purchased power or fossil fuels and eliminate the sending of waste to land thus improving your mill's profitability.

Waste is expensive. It costs money to transport it, handle it, and dispose of it. And waste can have serious environmental implications, if it contains potentially harmful chemicals. In recycled paper mills, waste can be particularly bothersome. Waste comes in with the raw materials: plastics, textiles, wood, scrap, wires, glass, and other contaminants are an unavoidable part of the waste paper collection process. Depending on the grade of the recovered paper, rejects can account for more than 10% of the raw material; they can have various sizes (from the size of a grain of sand to large and heavy particles) and characteristics (wet or dry; of different densities; loose, compacted, or twisted).

There are several "protection" systems in mills to detect and screen out these impurities before they make their way into the paper stock. On the other hand, rejects can also contain recyclable materials like metals or burnable material with a considerable calorific value, such as plastics and textiles.

When recycled fibers are processed and deinked, sludge is generated, as is when raw water and waste water are treated. These mill sludge can sometimes be difficult to handle and dewater. Since transportation costs, gate fees, and landfill costs are often assigned on a per-ton basis, the extra weight of water in the waste increases the cost. Much of this cost can be avoided, however, with a good dewatering system.

Creating An Opportunity

Where there is a problem, there is potentially an opportunity. If we talk about waste, the opportunity is that it becomes economically attractive to recycle the mill waste, Fig. 1, being the source of renewable energy (gas and oil) and valuable by-products, such as metals (like aluminum) and bio-char. In this way, an internal fuel source is created, disposal costs are avoided, landfill volume is reduced, and so is the burden on the environment.

Andritz develops innovative waste-to-value technologies for sludge and reject treatment as well as smart recycling concepts for mill waste. Modular system designs with scalable sizes can be adapted to the specific waste streams of any mill.

Turning Waste Into Fuel

Dewatered rejects, sludge, and other mill residuals can be combusted to produce steam. The steam can be used directly in the paper mill or fed into a turbine-generator to produce electrical power. The heat for steam production can be produced either directly by burning the waste in a controlled environment or indirectly by generating a fuel gas that can be burned or further processed.

There are various technologies for the purpose of turning waste into fuel: the front-end technologies are for handling the rejects and preparing them for conversion into fuel; downstream processes convert the waste into solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels. Andritz is working with various technologies for both front-end and downstream processes.

The modules available today developed by Andritz are for rejects handling, sludge handling, drying, and fuel preparation at the front end, as well as the downstream pyrolysis technology and combustion systems (boilers and gasifiers). This equipment can be used in a stand-alone arrangement, as "process islands," or can be integrated into a complete system.

How To Make Profit From Mill Waste

Waste-to-value processes, Fig. 2, enhance your mill's profitability by recycling the mill waste products. Each mill situation is slightly unique. Therefore, the Andritz approach is to design a solution based on the mill's specific goals and requirements. There is no standard solution, but there are standard modules that can be combined with some customized solutions. The basis is an analysis of the available waste streams - amount of valuable waste compounds and heating values of the potential fuels - the existing equipment at the mill, and the desired final result.

Let's take a closer look at the individual process steps:

Rejects handling:With few exceptions, practically all recycled paper rejects can be used as a fuel source. What Andritz does is to separate out contaminants that cannot be readily converted into energy - part of them, however, can be recycled as valuable goods. An early step is to remove coarse, iron-containing metals using a powerful magnet. With a ballistic separator, Fig. 3, bulky material is removed from the reject stream: unwanted debris like stones, bricks, and other heavy items as well as valuable compounds, such as plastic bottles or cans.

After mechanical dewatering, the rejects are reduced in size and made more homogeneous in a shredder, Fig. 4, before further components, such as non-ferrous metals or PVC, are sorted out. The metals removed can be sold as scrap to the metals industry. After this, the material may have to be dried before being combusted or pyrolyzed.

Sludge handling:After pre-thickening by gravity, fibrous sludge is dewatered on mechanical presses applying very high pressures. Sludge from biological water treatment is somewhat more difficult to dewater mechanically. This is why flexible belt presses are typically applied for this purpose. Andritz technologies for sludge dewatering include screw and belt presses, gravity tables, thickening drums, Fig. 5, and other dewatering devices.

Drying:Thermal drying is required to remove more moisture from pre-dewatered sludges. Quite often, belt dryer technology is used for rejects and sludge materials, and also for woody biomass. By drying in a "closed system", the heat in the drying air can be recovered and utilized - reducing overall energy consumption.

Pelleting:Due to their dense form and low moisture content, pellets are very efficient to transport and store. Pelleting is therefore an excellent technique for preparing the waste fuel. The waste is pretreated and fed at a higher temperature into an Andritz pelleting machine. The machine extrudes the material through a perforated die to form pellets of uniform diameter. The pellets are cooled and conditioned to prevent them from sticking together. While wood pellets can be used in household heating systems, the pellets made from rejects and sludge materials need official permission for waste combustion.

Pyrolysis and combustion:Andritz offers innovative pyrolysis technology for full recycling of plastic rejects and laminates (plastic-aluminum compounds). The basic technical principle of pyrolysis is a chemical process, a technology for high-temperature heating of organic material in the absence of oxygen. For combustion, the company provides proven power boiler technologies - well suited for biomass and alternative fuels - with high combustion efficiency. With both pyrolysis and combustion processes, complex waste products can be converted back into resources, thus making substantial contributions towards protecting the environment.

Trash To Treasure

There is an old saying that "one man's trash is another man's treasure". Just as craftspeople turn old metal and textile scraps into works of art, Andritz technology is turning once-disposed-of waste materials into valuable energy sources and products. Perhaps the outcome is not as beautiful as a work of art, but it is important as a cost-saving and environmentally sound solution. So, don't waste your waste!

 

Michael Waupotitsch is VP sludge, reject and recycling; Regina Puschnig is marketing manager, Pulping and Fiber Division, Andritz, Austria.

 

Waste-To-Value: Innovative recycling of mill waste

08/01/2015 - 15:33

BRUSSELS (PPI Magazine) -Opportunities now abound for mills to recover, re-use or even sell waste by-products

Waste from paper mills is often sent to landfill. This can be a costly and environmentally sensitive operation. A new alternative - known as waste-to-value - collects, treats, and converts waste into energy or saleable by-products. Innovative technologies for sludge and reject handling, material separation and recovery, and production of renewable energy help you reduce dependency on purchased power or fossil fuels and eliminate the sending of waste to land thus improving your mill's profitability.

Waste is expensive. It costs money to transport it, handle it, and dispose of it. And waste can have serious environmental implications, if it contains potentially harmful chemicals. In recycled paper mills, waste can be particularly bothersome. Waste comes in with the raw materials: plastics, textiles, wood, scrap, wires, glass, and other contaminants are an unavoidable part of the waste paper collection process. Depending on the grade of the recovered paper, rejects can account for more than 10% of the raw material; they can have various sizes (from the size of a grain of sand to large and heavy particles) and characteristics (wet or dry; of different densities; loose, compacted, or twisted).

There are several "protection" systems in mills to detect and screen out these impurities before they make their way into the paper stock. On the other hand, rejects can also contain recyclable materials like metals or burnable material with a considerable calorific value, such as plastics and textiles.

When recycled fibers are processed and deinked, sludge is generated, as is when raw water and waste water are treated. These mill sludge can sometimes be difficult to handle and dewater. Since transportation costs, gate fees, and landfill costs are often assigned on a per-ton basis, the extra weight of water in the waste increases the cost. Much of this cost can be avoided, however, with a good dewatering system.

Creating An Opportunity

Where there is a problem, there is potentially an opportunity. If we talk about waste, the opportunity is that it becomes economically attractive to recycle the mill waste, Fig. 1, being the source of renewable energy (gas and oil) and valuable by-products, such as metals (like aluminum) and bio-char. In this way, an internal fuel source is created, disposal costs are avoided, landfill volume is reduced, and so is the burden on the environment.

Andritz develops innovative waste-to-value technologies for sludge and reject treatment as well as smart recycling concepts for mill waste. Modular system designs with scalable sizes can be adapted to the specific waste streams of any mill.

Turning Waste Into Fuel

Dewatered rejects, sludge, and other mill residuals can be combusted to produce steam. The steam can be used directly in the paper mill or fed into a turbine-generator to produce electrical power. The heat for steam production can be produced either directly by burning the waste in a controlled environment or indirectly by generating a fuel gas that can be burned or further processed.

There are various technologies for the purpose of turning waste into fuel: the front-end technologies are for handling the rejects and preparing them for conversion into fuel; downstream processes convert the waste into solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels. Andritz is working with various technologies for both front-end and downstream processes.

The modules available today developed by Andritz are for rejects handling, sludge handling, drying, and fuel preparation at the front end, as well as the downstream pyrolysis technology and combustion systems (boilers and gasifiers). This equipment can be used in a stand-alone arrangement, as "process islands," or can be integrated into a complete system.

How To Make Profit From Mill Waste

Waste-to-value processes, Fig. 2, enhance your mill's profitability by recycling the mill waste products. Each mill situation is slightly unique. Therefore, the Andritz approach is to design a solution based on the mill's specific goals and requirements. There is no standard solution, but there are standard modules that can be combined with some customized solutions. The basis is an analysis of the available waste streams - amount of valuable waste compounds and heating values of the potential fuels - the existing equipment at the mill, and the desired final result.

Let's take a closer look at the individual process steps:

Rejects handling:With few exceptions, practically all recycled paper rejects can be used as a fuel source. What Andritz does is to separate out contaminants that cannot be readily converted into energy - part of them, however, can be recycled as valuable goods. An early step is to remove coarse, iron-containing metals using a powerful magnet. With a ballistic separator, Fig. 3, bulky material is removed from the reject stream: unwanted debris like stones, bricks, and other heavy items as well as valuable compounds, such as plastic bottles or cans.

After mechanical dewatering, the rejects are reduced in size and made more homogeneous in a shredder, Fig. 4, before further components, such as non-ferrous metals or PVC, are sorted out. The metals removed can be sold as scrap to the metals industry. After this, the material may have to be dried before being combusted or pyrolyzed.

Sludge handling:After pre-thickening by gravity, fibrous sludge is dewatered on mechanical presses applying very high pressures. Sludge from biological water treatment is somewhat more difficult to dewater mechanically. This is why flexible belt presses are typically applied for this purpose. Andritz technologies for sludge dewatering include screw and belt presses, gravity tables, thickening drums, Fig. 5, and other dewatering devices.

Drying:Thermal drying is required to remove more moisture from pre-dewatered sludges. Quite often, belt dryer technology is used for rejects and sludge materials, and also for woody biomass. By drying in a "closed system", the heat in the drying air can be recovered and utilized - reducing overall energy consumption.

Pelleting:Due to their dense form and low moisture content, pellets are very efficient to transport and store. Pelleting is therefore an excellent technique for preparing the waste fuel. The waste is pretreated and fed at a higher temperature into an Andritz pelleting machine. The machine extrudes the material through a perforated die to form pellets of uniform diameter. The pellets are cooled and conditioned to prevent them from sticking together. While wood pellets can be used in household heating systems, the pellets made from rejects and sludge materials need official permission for waste combustion.

Pyrolysis and combustion:Andritz offers innovative pyrolysis technology for full recycling of plastic rejects and laminates (plastic-aluminum compounds). The basic technical principle of pyrolysis is a chemical process, a technology for high-temperature heating of organic material in the absence of oxygen. For combustion, the company provides proven power boiler technologies - well suited for biomass and alternative fuels - with high combustion efficiency. With both pyrolysis and combustion processes, complex waste products can be converted back into resources, thus making substantial contributions towards protecting the environment.

Trash To Treasure

There is an old saying that "one man's trash is another man's treasure". Just as craftspeople turn old metal and textile scraps into works of art, Andritz technology is turning once-disposed-of waste materials into valuable energy sources and products. Perhaps the outcome is not as beautiful as a work of art, but it is important as a cost-saving and environmentally sound solution. So, don't waste your waste!

 

Michael Waupotitsch is VP sludge, reject and recycling; Regina Puschnig is marketing manager, Pulping and Fiber Division, Andritz, Austria.

 

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DAVENTRY, UK, July 14, 2015 (Press Release) -80% of organisations remove Greenwash following the latest Two Sides Anti-Greenwash Campaign

Two Sides have been actively challenging organisations which use greenwash to mislead consumers regarding the environmental benefits of alternative media. They have done this by requesting that organisations carefully consider their messages and the potentially misleading anti-print and paper statements that are being made such as: ‘go paper-free and do your bit for the environment' or ‘e-billing is more environmentally friendly than the traditional paper bill'. It is important, when organisations promote products and services, that they do not damage the Print and Paper industry and jeopardise the livelihood of the many thousands of people employed therein with possibly misleading statements. Two Sides have been reacting to misleading statements whenever they arise and engaging with major corporations and organisations. 2 months into the campaign and Two Sides report very encouraging results. Of the 25 organisations identified and challenged in a campaign that started at the end of May, 20 have responded favourably and removed the misleading claims. To see which organiisatins Two Sides have engaged with to remove their Greenwash,click here.

The belief that e-communication is more environmentally-friendly than print is generally unproven and there is a lack of life cycle data to support such claims. What is increasingly clear is that electronic communication, and in particular the energy requirements of the increasing worldwide network of servers which are necessary to store all the information needed for immediate access, has a significant and increasing carbon footprint. Electronic communication and document storage must be recognised as delivering efficiency but not necessarily greater sustainability. In the UK it has been suggested that PC's and servers may consume up to 50% of the country's energy requirements in the next 10 years.

Two Sides beleive, considering all the environmental costs of electronic communication, print and paper may well be the environmentally sustainable way to communicate.

 

Two Sides reports interim success in anti-greenwash campaign

07/20/2015 - 14:30

DAVENTRY, UK, July 14, 2015 (Press Release) -80% of organisations remove Greenwash following the latest Two Sides Anti-Greenwash Campaign

Two Sides have been actively challenging organisations which use greenwash to mislead consumers regarding the environmental benefits of alternative media. They have done this by requesting that organisations carefully consider their messages and the potentially misleading anti-print and paper statements that are being made such as: ‘go paper-free and do your bit for the environment' or ‘e-billing is more environmentally friendly than the traditional paper bill'. It is important, when organisations promote products and services, that they do not damage the Print and Paper industry and jeopardise the livelihood of the many thousands of people employed therein with possibly misleading statements. Two Sides have been reacting to misleading statements whenever they arise and engaging with major corporations and organisations. 2 months into the campaign and Two Sides report very encouraging results. Of the 25 organisations identified and challenged in a campaign that started at the end of May, 20 have responded favourably and removed the misleading claims. To see which organiisatins Two Sides have engaged with to remove their Greenwash,click here.

The belief that e-communication is more environmentally-friendly than print is generally unproven and there is a lack of life cycle data to support such claims. What is increasingly clear is that electronic communication, and in particular the energy requirements of the increasing worldwide network of servers which are necessary to store all the information needed for immediate access, has a significant and increasing carbon footprint. Electronic communication and document storage must be recognised as delivering efficiency but not necessarily greater sustainability. In the UK it has been suggested that PC's and servers may consume up to 50% of the country's energy requirements in the next 10 years.

Two Sides beleive, considering all the environmental costs of electronic communication, print and paper may well be the environmentally sustainable way to communicate.

 

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VANTAA, Finland, June 25, 2015 (Press Release) -

Finnpulp Oy has awarded Pöyry with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) assignment for a planned pulp mill project in Kuopio, Finland. The assessment program includes Finnpulp Oy's plans on the various implementation alternatives for the mill project and a plan on the environmental impacts to be assessed. In addition to the construction and operation of the pulp mill itself, the assessment procedure will cover the essential auxiliary activities required by the mill such as road and rail connections and the power transmission network.

Finnpulp Oy is planning to realise the world's largest softwood pulp mill investment in Kuopio, Finland. The total amount of the investment is EUR 1.4 billion. The basis for all Finnpulp operations is to become the most efficient and modern producer of softwood pulp in the world. Producing market pulp, the mill is scheduled to start operation by the end of 2019.

The annual production capacity of this pulp mill, designed specifically to produce raw materials for the tissue and packaging board industries, is 1.2 million tons. In addition, it will produce bioelectricity and wood-based biochemicals such as tall oil and turpentine. It is estimated that the mill will use about 6.7 million cubic meters of wood raw material per year.

"It was easy and smooth to continue the EIA with Pöyry after the prefeasibility study of the pulp mill. At Pöyry the industrial and environmental knowledge is combined in a way that suits Finnpulp's requirements", says Timo Piilonen, Project Director of Finnpulp.

"The traditional pulp & paper industry is in transition towards a bio-based product business. As the world's leading pulp and paper engineering consultancy, we are proud to support our clients in this transition towards more sustainable solutions. Pöyry is honored to be able to support Finnpulp in the development of this remarkable project", says Nicholas Oksanen, President, Industry Business Group.

The value of the order is not disclosed. The order was recognised within the Industry Business Group order stock in Q2/2015.

Pöyry is an international consulting and engineering company. We serve clients globally across the energy and industrial sectors and provide local services in our core markets. We deliver management consulting and engineering services, underpinned by strong project implementation capability and expertise. Our focus sectors are power generation, transmission & distribution, forest industry, chemicals & biorefining, mining & metals, transportation and water. Pöyry has an extensive local office network employing about 6,000 experts. Pöyry's net sales in 2014 were EUR 571 million and the company's shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki (Pöyry PLC: POY1V).

 

 

Pöyry awarded environmental impact assessment services assignment by Finnpulp

06/29/2015 - 19:30

VANTAA, Finland, June 25, 2015 (Press Release) -

Finnpulp Oy has awarded Pöyry with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) assignment for a planned pulp mill project in Kuopio, Finland. The assessment program includes Finnpulp Oy's plans on the various implementation alternatives for the mill project and a plan on the environmental impacts to be assessed. In addition to the construction and operation of the pulp mill itself, the assessment procedure will cover the essential auxiliary activities required by the mill such as road and rail connections and the power transmission network.

Finnpulp Oy is planning to realise the world's largest softwood pulp mill investment in Kuopio, Finland. The total amount of the investment is EUR 1.4 billion. The basis for all Finnpulp operations is to become the most efficient and modern producer of softwood pulp in the world. Producing market pulp, the mill is scheduled to start operation by the end of 2019.

The annual production capacity of this pulp mill, designed specifically to produce raw materials for the tissue and packaging board industries, is 1.2 million tons. In addition, it will produce bioelectricity and wood-based biochemicals such as tall oil and turpentine. It is estimated that the mill will use about 6.7 million cubic meters of wood raw material per year.

"It was easy and smooth to continue the EIA with Pöyry after the prefeasibility study of the pulp mill. At Pöyry the industrial and environmental knowledge is combined in a way that suits Finnpulp's requirements", says Timo Piilonen, Project Director of Finnpulp.

"The traditional pulp & paper industry is in transition towards a bio-based product business. As the world's leading pulp and paper engineering consultancy, we are proud to support our clients in this transition towards more sustainable solutions. Pöyry is honored to be able to support Finnpulp in the development of this remarkable project", says Nicholas Oksanen, President, Industry Business Group.

The value of the order is not disclosed. The order was recognised within the Industry Business Group order stock in Q2/2015.

Pöyry is an international consulting and engineering company. We serve clients globally across the energy and industrial sectors and provide local services in our core markets. We deliver management consulting and engineering services, underpinned by strong project implementation capability and expertise. Our focus sectors are power generation, transmission & distribution, forest industry, chemicals & biorefining, mining & metals, transportation and water. Pöyry has an extensive local office network employing about 6,000 experts. Pöyry's net sales in 2014 were EUR 571 million and the company's shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki (Pöyry PLC: POY1V).

 

 

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