Opcon to help Belgian greenhouses to improve energy efficiency and cut emissions
Svensk Rökgasenergi (SRE), a subsidiary of Opcon AB, the energy and environmental technology Group, has received a second order via Vyncke for an energy and environmental technology assignment at a greenhouse complex in Belgium. Delivery will take place in the first half of 2010. Through its co-operation with Vyncke, a global bioenergy company, SRE won its first order from the Belgian greenhouse segment in 2008 for a system that meets the requirements of the Belgian authorities for treating flue gas dioxins, dust hard particles, etc. Using this installation as a reference, SRE has now received its second order in Belgium in the greenhouse segment, where in addition to treating flue gases SRE is now installing equipment that improves energy efficiency. An assessment of the first installation in Belgium revealed that emissions of dust hard particles were reduced from over 200 mg/nm³ to below 1 mg/nm³ while emissions of sulphur and dioxins have also been cut drastically. The next installation is expected to in addition to cutting emissions dramatically also boost energy efficiency by around 20 percent. The order is the fifth in the new segment of greenhouses. SRE inaugurated its first plant in this segment at a major seminar for the Dutch greenhouse industry in early 2008. “When a greenhouse switches to heating based on biomass we can boost the efficiency of the plant significantly. That means a significant reduction in the amount of fuel required. In a short time SRE has succeeded in gaining acceptance for its energy and environmental technology products among greenhouse companies, which is a new and very interesting segment with large global growth potential. We also see how our partnership with Vyncke, which is a global player with a large base of installations, is producing results. In Belgium and France alone Vyncke now has over 20 installations only in the greenhouse segment where this type of energy and environmental technology solutions are highly appropriate,” says Rolf Hasselström, President and CEO of Opcon AB, ahead of the Bioenergy conference in Linköping. SRE is a part of Opcon’s expanding Renewable Energy business area and its Waste into Value campaign with special focus on Waste Heat Recovery and Bioenergy. SRE supplies systems for treatment and energy efficiency improvement to district heating plants powered by biofuel, sawmills, pellets manufacturers and commercial greenhouses. The company also supplies treatment equipment to large industrial groups and drying systems for biomass. SRE’s Renergi product system is based on heat recovery, with waste heat being recovered through flue gas condensation which means both significant reductions in emissions and major energy savings. The capacity of a boiler powered by biofuel can be increased by up to some 25-50 percent depending on the configuration while emissions of dust hard particles can be cut considerably. Waste heat is currently an enormous, largely unutilised energy resource across the world. The International Energy Agency estimates that over 60 percent of the energy in global electricity production is converted into heat.
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