Recovery Boiler Optimization
Recovery Boiler Optimization
3 Months to €615k per Year with Zero Capital
In just five months we stabilised liquor chemistry, automated soot-blowing, and tightened excess-air control on a single 2,000 t/d recovery boiler. The upgrade now delivers ≈ € 615 000 in verified annual savings—combining ≈ € 395 000 in steam and ≈ € 220 000 in chemical costs—achieving an internal pay-back of 3 months. Better yet, all this was achieved without investing a dime in new equipment.
600 kTon per Year Kraft Pulp Manufacturer
Operating for decades on a coastal Southern-Hemisphere site, this large-scale kraftcomplex converts sustainably managed plantation fibre into ≈ 600 000 t ofbleached pulp per year, supplying packaging markets worldwide.
Unstable Chemistry & Inefficient Stream Use
When the client contacted us they were facing a number of challenges
- Energy-price shock – Continental natural-gas prices tripled between 2021-23, amplifying steam’s opportunity cost.
- Chemical-cost pressure – White-liquor makeup chemicals rose > 25 % amid a tight global caustic-soda market.
- Strict NOₓ permits – Site must hold annual NOₓ < 200 mg/Nm³ while lifting throughput to meet order growth.
They also had frequent swings in black-liquor solids and sulfidity forced conservative excess-air settings and over-dosing of reduction chemicals. Fixed-interval soot-blowing squandered steam, while slagging drove 6-hour water-wash shuts every seven weeks.
There key pain points were
- 6-hour water-wash shuts every seven weeks.
- ≈ 4 % steam lost to over-blowing.
- Reduction ratio drifting ± 3 %, inflating chemical makeup.
A Data Driven Solution
Considering the many challenges the mill was facing, we knew that we needed a focused approach. Our solution was therefore centered around four main areas; steam use reduction, preventing over-dosing of reduction agents, an availability boost in water wash and emission compliance.
Implementation Process
€ 615,000 Annual Gain
Financial Summary – ≈ € 615 000/year verified savings. pay-back of 3 months.
Key Takeaways
- Chemistry + Controls = Margin – Tight reduction-ratio control slashes chemical spend while freeing steam.
- Adaptive Cleaning Saves Steam – ML sequencer fires lances only when cost-benefit is positive.
- Operator-Centred Design – Co-authored limits and live dashboards accelerated adoption.
- Sustainability Meets Profitability – Less steam and fewer washes cut fuel, CO₂, and downtime simultaneously.
