Fumes Condensing System

Flue Gas Condensation System: An Advanced Solution for Energy Recovery

What is Flue Gas Condensation?
The flue gas condensation system represents an effective and highly recommended technology for combustion plants, particularly for biomass plants, especially those using high-moisture fuels such as wood chips. This technique allows for the recovery of additional energy from the exhaust gases, energy that would otherwise be wasted. The recovery is particularly efficient when:

• Wet biomass is used, with moisture content between 40% and 55%.
• The return temperature of the heating system is below 60°C.

Applications of Recovered Heat
The heat recovered through flue gas condensation offers numerous employment opportunities:

• Increase in efficiency in local and district heating networks: The heat can be utilized to reduce primary fuel consumption and improve the energy balance.
• Process heat: Useful for steam production processes or Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) plants.
• Biomass drying: Ideal for processing sawdust, wood chips, or timber.
• Reduction of emissions visibility: Reduces visible steam at the exhaust, improving the environmental appearance.
• Industrial processes: The recovered heat is usable for various heating applications in the industrial sector.

Economic and Environmental Benefits: Return on Investment and Dust Reduction
Flue gas condensation systems offer a rapid return on investment: integration or retrofitting costs are typically recovered within two years. Additionally, this technology provides significant benefits in reducing dust, with particulate reductions between 30% and 60%, depending on the plant configuration. This enables a reduction in investment costs for dust control components, thanks to more compact and efficient designs.

Recovery of 50% of the Boiler's Heating Power
During the winter months, by using fuels with a moisture content of up to 65%, it is possible to recover up to 50% of the boiler's power through the heat of the exhaust gases. On average, depending on the plant configuration and return temperatures, it is estimated that an annual recovery of between 10% and 25% of the boiler's heating power can be achieved.

Connection to Industry 5.0 and the 5.0 Transition Plan
Flue gas condensation integrates perfectly with the objectives of the 5.0 Transition Plan, which encourages companies to reduce energy consumption and improve the efficiency of production processes through investments in innovative technologies. The adoption of condensation systems can be facilitated by tax credits, with an incentive of up to 40% of the investment. This technology allows for a reduction in energy consumption of at least 10%, contributing to the achievement of the energy reduction targets set by the plan.

Benefits of the 5.0 Transition Plan:

• Innovation Projects: Companies investing in technologies to reduce energy consumption receive tax incentives.
• Energy Consumption Reduction: A minimum energy saving of 3% is required to obtain incentives, with a potential saving of 10% for condensation systems.
• Certifications: To benefit from the tax credit, energy savings must be certified by independent evaluators.

Energy Recovery and Treatment of Condensates
The recoverable energy depends on various factors such as the fuel's moisture content and the amount of excess oxygen in the exhaust gases. It is essential to treat the condensate and the sludge produced, using wood dust filters or combinations of sedimentation and pressure filtration, to minimize environmental impact.

In conclusion, implementing flue gas condensation systems in biomass plants represents a strategic investment, with quick economic benefits, a strong impact on energy efficiency, and a key role in contributing to the sustainability objectives of Industry 5.0.