Heat recovery
Efficient use of
wasted energy
Recovering heat from processes and machines is a solution that radically improves energy efficiency. Make use of the heat you are already producing!
What is heat recovery?
Heat recovery is a technology that enables the reuse of thermal energy that would otherwise be lost in industrial processes.
Heat generated by compressors, turbines, engines, pumps, furnaces or sterilizers can be effectively recovered and reused.
Heat recovery captures waste heat and puts it to practical use, such as heating water, air, or powering industrial processes.
Read our article in the knowledge base: Heat recovery technologies
Read!Who is it for?
Heat recovery is suitable wherever large amounts of heat are used in a technological process. These include for example:
- Metallurgical, steel and foundry plants, where furnaces and their products reach very high temperatures.
- Automotive industry and plastics processing, where production generates large amounts of waste heat.
- Chemical industry, which uses heat to warm semi-finished products or where heat is a by-product of chemical processes.
- Pulp processing and product drying, where heat can be used multiple times in the same process, e.g. drying food, paper or cellulose.
What are the methods of heat recovery?
Recuperation
A standard heat recovery process captures energy from exhaust gases (flue gases, air, etc.) and transfers it to another gas stream, a technological process, or a heating system. This use of a heat exchanger minimizes energy losses and enhances overall efficiency.
Recirculation
The process of reusing the same medium (e.g. air or water) in the system by cleaning, heating or cooling it. Recirculation reduces the demand for fresh resources and minimizes energy losses.
Regeneration
Regeneration is a heat recovery method in which hot and cold media pass through the same heat exchanger in a counter current flow. The hot medium transfers heat to the cooler stream. This technique is commonly used, for example, in milk pasteurizers.
To learn more about heat recovery from specific processes, see our article in the knowledge base.
Heat recovery from compressorsBy using measurements, we can reliably assess potential savings and choose the best technological solutions for your needs.
Visualization of temperature trends and flow streams enabling analysis of the potential use of a given medium.
Case study
Implementation of a heat exchanger in the boiler blowdown system at Schumacher Packaging
Annual savings:
PLN 806,000
Annual reduction in energy consumption:
15,500 MWh
Annual CO2 emission reduction:
5,284 tons
Use of waste heat from the formalin production process
in the OSB dryer at a wood processing plant
Annual savings:
PLN 9.9 million
Annual reduction in energy consumption:
112,481 MWh
Annual CO2 emission reduction:
35,700 tons
We identified heat recovery opportunities worth a total of PLN 470 million, resulting in a
reduction of energy consumption by over 2.2 TWh per year.
Thanks to this technology, our clients can save PLN 182.5 million annually.
