sustainability

We won the following prizes for installing a combined heat and power system that uses a gas turbine for preheating combustion air:

• the klima:aktiv award 2010

• the Upper Austrian national award for environment and nature 2010
• Upper Austrian energy globe 2011

The starting situation for the project was the reconstruction of the production halls, which was connected to an increase in production, which had brought the assurance of supply to its limit. These factors, together with rising energy prices, were the reasons for taking measures to install the power station.

The measures involved replacing the boiler with a combined power, heat and cooling system (with a gas turbine), with which 35% of the company’s total electricity needs are covered. The generated heat can be used in its entirety.
With the new system the turbine exhaust stream is used 100% as combustion air for firing the gas boiler, thus turbine CO2 emissions are avoided altogether. By utilizing the turbine’s high temperature and post-combustion of CO2, with regard to gas firing the total efficiency significantly improved (up to almost 100%).
The recovered heat is used for water heating, halls and office heating and via absorber technology for cooling.
A total efficiency of 95% is achieved, and furthermore annual savings of 2,700,000 kWh, which corresponds to a cost savings of €175,000.