MOSCOW (MRC) - Borealis will use a new system to convert waste heat into process energy at its LDPE plant in its Antwerp, Belgium complex, the first commercial application of the technology, the manufacturer said.
This Qpinch technology uses a chemical process to raise the temperature of the waste heat, which allows it to be used for production with lower operating costs and power consumption than conventional heat pumps.
Qpinch won the ICIS Innovation Awards at the end of 2020 because its technology allows manufacturers to more efficiently use waste heat to control production by creating a closed loop system.
The technology scales from 1 to 50 megawatts. The Borealis demonstration plant intends to test the process capabilities with a view to expanding its use in the company's production facilities.
Earlier it was reported that Borealis in March last year resumed production of high-density polyethylene (LDPE) in Stenungsund (Stenungsund, Sweden) after planned repairs. This production with a capacity of 350 thousand tons of LDPE per year was closed for repairs in December 2019.
According to MRC's ScanPlast, in March the estimated consumption of LDPE in Russia increased to 62,100 tonnes against 36,580 tonnes a year earlier. Russian manufacturers have reduced their export supplies of LDPE due to more attractive prices on the domestic market. In the first three months of this year, the estimated consumption of LDPE in the country amounted to about 149,910 tonnes, which is 10% more than a year earlier.
Borealis, headquartered in Vienna, is a leading manufacturer of polyolefins, basic chemicals and fertilizers. Borealis is the majority shareholder in Saudi state-owned International Petroleum Investment (IPIC), which also owns North American ethylene and polyethylene producer NOVA Chemicals and Middle Eastern petrochemical company Borouge.
MRC