An Approach to Energy Balance Analysis Application with Co-Generation: The Plant of Erdemir

Abstract

Eregli Iron and Steel Works Co. (Erdemir) began its activities on May 15, 1965 with an annual production capacity of 450.000 t and has made important contributions to Turkey's economy ever since. Today, with a total amount of crude steel production capacity exceeding 3.000.000 t, it is the largest iron and steel factory and the sole producer of flat steel in the country. Erdemir produces hot and cold rolled coils, zinc, tin, and chromium plated steel. Erdemir has attained the production potential of its entire power requirement amounting to 1.2 billion Kwh/y in the power plant. However, it continues to purchase electricity amounting to 15% of its total production capacity from the Turkish Electricity Authority national system in order to meet the fluctuating loads, which occur during the hot rolling process. The installed energy production capacity of Erdemir has reached 155 MW (195 MW in 2008) with two steam turbine generators, which were put into service in 1965 with a 10 MW capacity each; a steam turbine, which was put into service in 1978 with a 30 MW capacity; two gas turbine generators, each of which was put into service in 1997 with a 40 MW capacity; and a steam turbine generator/motor blower which was put into service in 2001 with a 25 MW capacity. The steam production capacity is 750 t/hr of which 600 t/hr is produced in five steam boilers and 160 t/hr is produced in two co-generation facilities. In this study, as the control volume, the limits of co-generation plant No. 1 in Erdemir have been chosen for a detailed energy balance analysis. By the identification of the energy sources that move in and out of the control volume, the energy output sources have been categorized as fractioned. For the implementation of the method, the balance study has been chosen. Thanks to this study, major energy losses have been determined. According to our calculations energy efficiency of the furnace was founded as 77,2%. It seems that Erdemir co-generation plant No. 1 has a highly energy-efficient production for sustainable energy generation. Erdemir co-generation plant has also been rewarded as the second most-efficient co-generation plant of Turkey by the Ministry of Energy in 2002. This study also aimed to show the importance of the energy balance of plants, in order to find energy losses from the process. The losses can be recovered to use primary energy sources effectively.