Oxelö Energi orders two Opcon Powerboxes for new CO2-free electricity to SSAB
Opcon, the energy and environmental technology Group, has received an order from Oxelö Energi in Oxelösund for two Opcon Powerboxes. The installations shall be used to produce new CO2-free electricity from waste heat at SSAB’s plant in Oxelösund. The order incl. installation is worth in excess of SEK 20 million. In addition, a 15-year operating and service agreement has also been concluded worth several million Swedish kronor over time.
“Within Oxelö Energi we view the use of industrial waste heat for new CO2-free electricity production as a natural advancement of our traditional industrial cooperation within the district heating area. We want to use Opcon Powerbox to increase our customer value and we will create significant environmental and economic value for the region in conjunction with SSAB”, says Ulf Rohlén, MD of Oxelö Energi.
The planned project is expected to result in new electricity production and reduced CO2 emissions corresponding to the household electricity needs of 1,700 – 1,800 families.
“With this order from Oxelö Energi which is an innovative municipal-owned company, we have secured our first energy company as a customer for Opcon Powerbox which was launched during 2008. We are currently in discussions with several energy companies, and there is a range of possibilities for integrating Opcon Powerbox in power and district heating systems in order to simultaneously produce electricity, both with and without integration of industrial waste heat. Oxelö Energi also expects that it shall be profitable even though electricity production from SSAB’s waste heat does not currently give entitlement to electricity certificates, demonstrating the considerable customer benefit in the form of making systems more efficient, low electricity costs and reduced CO2 emissions that Opcon Powerbox generates”, says Rolf Hasselström, President and CEO of Opcon AB.
“We can see yet again that Opcon's new focus on energy and environmental technology is well-timed. During the past year, we have had a steadily growing order-book despite the current financial turmoil and economic trend, says Rolf Hasselström, President and CEO of Opcon AB.
The first full-scale Opcon Powerbox started up in February 2008 and produces electricity without any emissions. Opcon Powerbox is adapted to deal with waste heat from as low as 55°C in large-scale process industries and the power industry, among others. By using waste and surplus heat, electricity is produced without admission of more fuel from something that previously went to waste.
Within the EU there is over 300 TWh industrial waste and surplus heat and very few district heating networks to utilize it in. According to the American energy department there is more waste and surplus heat available in American industry than electricity production from all renewable energy sources in the US combined. The possibility of simultaneously creating economic and environmental value via Opcon Powerbox is deemed so good that the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce nominated Opcon Powerbox as one of four finalists at the Global Green Award in New York in September last year.
For further information please contact:
Niklas Johansson, vice president, Investor Relations, tel. 08-466 45 00, 070-592 54 53
Opcon AB, Box 15085, 104 65 Stockholm
Tel. +46 (0)8 466 45 00, fax +46 (0)8 716 76 61
e-mail: info@opcon.se
www.opcon.se