A new compressor station was commissioned at VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation. The project was implemented by Atlas Copco. Technologies of this Company will improve energy efficiency. 35% reduction of energy intensity/compressed air generation ratio will result in more reliable power network of the mill.
The new compressor station is located on the site of the old compressor station no. 2 operating since the plant foundation, in the very centre of VSMPO, and aimed at providing the majority of A production area consumers with high-quality compressed air.
The previous equipment was morally and physically obsolete and had a number of unsolved problems. Thus, particularly, compressed air production couldn’t be controlled in a wide range, so a great volume of expensive energetic resources had to be released to the atmosphere. Furthermore, wet compressed air resulted in pipes corrosion, wear and even rupture.
The abovementioned issues could be solved owing new compressor units. ZH15000 centrifugal compressors ensure a wide range of productivity control. XD5000 adsorption dehumidifiers to get a low dew point use compression heat only without losing compressed air for purge and ensure no condensate in lines. ES16 compressors upper control level regulates operating modes of the compressors ensuring stable compressed air pressure in the line. The system determines an optimized number of operating compressors to generate the required amount of air. A thermal energy recovery unit improves energy value-added use.
«Compressed air is one of the most expensive energetic resources: production cost of works done at compressed air is 7 times more as opposed to electric drive. In years to come we plan to recover the value owing to reduction of energy intensity in relation to compressed air generation by 35%, which will allow to improve the Company energetic system reliability and reduce the period of the value recovery. The project amount is 300M Rur», VSMPO-AVISMA CEO Mr. Mikhail Voevodin said.
A single criterion for Atlas Copco selection as a partner for implementation of the compressed air system reconstruction was a package proposal including aftersales service and full warranty throughout the effective period of the contract.
«VSMPO’s objective to improve the Company efficiency coincides with Atlas Copco’s ambition as the leader in compressor business. We set a global aim of 20% reduction of all our machines specific consumption by 2020 using advanced technologies, Atlas Copco Oil-free Marketing Vice President indicated. – Therefore, today we mutually make one more step towards implementation of our common intentions».
