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Linde to Install ReBox Technology for Ascometal Reheat Furnaces
04/22/2007 - Air Liquide announced the acquisition of the engineering firm Lurgi from Global Engineering Alliance based on an equity value of approximately 550 million euros.
Special long steel products producer Ascometal, France, has awarded Linde a contract to install ReBox® oxyfuel solutions for four pit furnaces at the Les Dunes facility.
Linde will convert the four reheat furnaces to full oxyfuel operation to boost rolling mill capacity, reduce fuel consumption, and reduce emissions of CO2 and NOx. The work will be executed during 2007-2008 as part of a performance guarantee contract.
When processes employ air to achieve combustion, only the oxygen portion of the air—typically 21%—assists with the combustion. The balance of the air (primarily nitrogen) does not help with the combustion, but actually consumes energy as it is also be heated to the combustion temperature. ReBox technology uses oxygen rather than air to combust the fuel, saving energy and improving process efficiency. Using oxygen results in a faster, more even heating process, which cuts total heating time and improves production capacity and flexibility. Flue gas volumes are reduced by up to 80% with no more need for bulky flue-gas systems or recuperators.
The Les Dunes project follows Linde’s earlier installation of ReBox technology at Ascometal’s Fos-sur-Mer facility. According to Jean-Pierre Riegert, Head of Technologies and Development at Ascometal, the installation of ReBox technology helped the Fos-sur-Mer plant achieve 33% shorter heating time and 40% lower fuel consumption with reduced emissions.
Since 1990, Linde has installed ReBox oxyfuel solutions in over 100 batch and continuous reheat furnaces within the steel industry’s rolling mills, forge shops and annealing lines.
