YARA: Steam grid balancing in integrated chemical plant unlocks new energy flexibility

ORGANIZATION

Yara

INDUSTRY

Manufacturing

SECTOR

Chemical

LOCATION(S)

Norway

YEAR(S)

2020

STATUS

In operation

Partnering with the fertilizer producer Yara International, ENERGYNEST is proud to be integrating a 4 MWh ThermalBattery™, directly connecting to the steam grid at their production facility at Porsgrunn in Norway.

This renewable storage system will provide increased flexibility to the plant by balancing local steam production and reducing the amount of dumped excess steam.

Main features

A ENERGYNEST steam-based ThermalBattery™ system stores thermal energy by condensing high-pressure steam and subsequently generates low-pressure steam on demand. The purpose is to reduce dumping of excess steam by storing the energy and instantly releasing it during short duration cyclic peak demand in the low-pressure steam grid.

The system increases energy efficiency and provides flexibility; two key features for industrial installations in their transition towards a sustainable energy future. The ThermalBattery™ can balance renewable electricity (converted to heat), recover industrial surplus heat and feed various industrial processes that require steam. It can also operate with other thermal fluids such as thermal oil.

ThermalBattery™ – modules and system

The modular energy storage system is scalable and customizable for any application. The modules are composed of abundant, recyclable and non-hazardous geomaterials (steel and HEATCRETE®). Each module (47 tons) is the size of a standard 20-ft shipping container, making transportation and installation simple.

How does the system work?

When the ThermalBattery™ system charges it is fed with high-pressure steam from the plant. The steam flows from top to bottom through the modules, in which it condenses, releasing its latent heat to the modules. The saturated condensate is stored in the pressure vessel.

When the ThermalBattery™ system discharges it feeds low-pressure steam back to the plant. This works by reversing the flow; the pressure vessel feeds the modules with condensate which evaporates inside the modules to steam, in parallel with partial flashing inside the vessel itself. This dual evaporation process is controlled by a set of control valves on top of the vessel.

System specifications

Charging: 34 barg, de-superheated

Discharge: 5 barg, dry steam

Flow-rate: 1 – 5 tons/hr.

Capacity: 5 tons

Design lifetime: 200 000 hrs.

Charge/discharge cycles: 462 000

Design code: EN 13445 + PED directive 2014/68/EU Cat IV, Mod G

Steam–to–steam for steam grid balancing

Avoid steam dumping by time-shifting steam

Industrial processes are usually not designed for volatility. In order to attain stability, heating of endothermal- or cooling of exothermal processes must continue round the clock – adding major cost and resource burdens to power plants. But all too often batch processes or interruptions lead to imbalances between supply and demand requiring back-up boilers to start or steam to be dumped.

Our steam to steam storage system fills exactly this gap by storing, time-shifting and balancing high- or medium pressure steam to make it available on demand: achieving true balance needed for greener industrial processes.