Replacing old steam systems can improve efficiency, cut costs, and reduce emissions. A Houston-based petrochemical producer replaced nine aging boilers with two units from Rentech Boilers using Coen ultra-low-NOx burners. The new boilers drive 38-MW GE turbogenerators and power compressors and also provide process heat. Once installed, the facility noted a jump in efficiency, lowered running costs, and reduced NOx emissions.
The original boilers were more than 50 years old. The plant could reduce the number of boilers needed due to the implementation of the latest technology as well as the fact that steam requirements dropped from 1.5 million pounds per hour to between 850,000 and 1.2 million.