Energy Efficiency – Grestel Unit 2

The planned intervention consists of implementing actions aimed at increasing energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy for self-consumption within the company, thereby promoting corporate energy efficiency and enhancing economic competitiveness through reduced energy costs. The project will enable rational energy use, reduce carbon emissions, lower energy consumption, and decrease associated operational and maintenance costs, contributing to a reduction in primary energy consumption.

The proposed intervention, based on energy efficiency measures identified in the “ex-ante” energy audit and in line with the budget estimate, focuses on improvements in the company’s production processes, namely:

• Recovery of final cooling air from the Grestel III tunnel kiln for the roller dryer for plates.
• Installation of a VSD (Variable Speed Drive) on the fan motor of the exhaust system of the Grestel II tunnel kiln.
• Recovery of final cooling air from the Grestel II tunnel kiln for the drying oven.
• Replacement of the refractory furniture in the wagons of the Grestel II tunnel kiln with low thermal mass refractory furniture (silicon carbide grates and cordierite plates).
• Installation of hot air distribution fans in the ceramics workshop, allowing the shutdown of 2 out of 4 hot air generators.

The objective of the proposed operation is to improve and enhance energy performance, optimize, and install energy-efficient technologies and systems both within production processes and in the support systems of existing infrastructures and equipment.