Vynova, a leading European PVC and chlor-alkali manufacturer, has opened a cutting-edge hydrogen-fired steam boiler system at its Tessenderlo, Belgium, facility.
A second, identical steam boiler will be installed by the end of the year. Vynova’s Tessenderlo production location will minimize CO2 emissions by 10,000 tonnes per year thanks to both boilers. A total of more than 8 million euros has been invested on the project.
Vynova manufactures a variety of base chemicals in Tessenderlo, which are utilized in the building industry, the medical field, the food business, and for water purification. Hydrogen is obtained as a by-product of the manufacturing process. The two new steam boilers will be powered by hydrogen. Vynova will use the created steam in its processes, such as purifying its products further.
“We have recently expanded our production capacity for various products, which means we are also generating more hydrogen as a by-product. We already use a large part of that hydrogen for various applications in our processes. Thanks to the new boilers, we will also be able to make maximum use of all the additional hydrogen we generate,” says Dimitri Wouters, Site Manager of Vynova Belgium.
2,000 households
Each steam boiler will be capable of producing 30 tonnes of steam per hour and will have a burner capacity of more than 20 MW. The boilers will be able to provide roughly two-thirds of the steam used at the Tessenderlo plant. Previously, natural gas-fired steam boilers were employed.
This investment reduces Vynova’s carbon impact by around 10,000 tonnes per year because hydrogen combustion produces no greenhouse gases. This equates to the CO2 emissions of 2,000 households using natural gas to cook and heat their houses.
The hydrogen-fired boilers are part of a large investment program in innovative technologies to improve Vynova’s plants’ sustainability and efficiency. As part of that effort, the Vynova Group has already invested more than 200 million euros at its Tessenderlo plant since 2016.
“The chemical industry is a sector in full transition towards a more sustainable and circular business model. This investment in innovative hydrogen-based technology highlights our firm commitment to be an industry leader in that sustainability journey, both through continued targeted investments in state-of-the-art production units as well as by enhancing our product offering of circular, renewable and low-carbon products,” concludes Vynova President Christophe André.
