Steam Savings At The Burghausen Site
Energy-efficient distillation plants
Steam consumption by our distillation columns in Burghausen has fallen substantially since we refurbished them. Thanks to our project aimed at boosting sustainability, we have managed to reduce annual consumption by around 57,400 tons. This corresponds to savings of around 10,000 metric tons of CO2 per year.
Heat Integration & Refurbishment Of The Reboiler
The feedstocks for a large number of silicone products are generated in several distillation plants in Burghausen that separate mixtures of methylchlorosilanes into M2 silanes.
To make this process more efficient, the plants were upgraded between 2020 and 2022 and a brand new, much more modern and energy-efficient plant was built. This has made the manufacture of a large number of silicone products more sustainable. Distillation is one of the key steps in the production of silanes at the Burghausen site.
A New, Modernized Column
The central distillation column was found to be suffering from irreparable external corrosion during inspection work conducted in late 2020. So, it has been replaced by a much more modern and efficient system that has reduced the site’s energy consumption. Thanks to thermal coupling with one of the existing distillation columns, some 10,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions are being saved every year. Future extensions will be able to improve this figure even further.
Energy-Saving Operations
The lower the energy demand, the less steam that needs to be fed into the plant: the gas turbine was also refurbished to match the reduced consumption. The central reboiler in the Burghausen site operates on a demand-driven basis and only produces as much steam as needed. This conserves resources and helps the environment.
“The project motivates everyone to take the hard road to advance energy efficiency and mitigate climate change. It proves that even large-scale projects can succeed when goals are set and followed.”
Christian Kaltenmarkner, Head of Distillation/Tank Farm North, BGH
The project for boosting energy efficiency at the Burghausen site supports the following SustainaBalance® goals:
WACKER has set ambitious goals to implement defined sustainable development goals by 2045. Our action plan is based on our SustainaBalance® strategy. This provides for the achievement of key milestones by 2030. These consist of enabling sustainable solutions for our customers, saving resources and establishing a sustainable value chain.
Find out moreOur Contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
A total of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals cover strategies to improve health and education, reduce inequality, and promote economic growth. This also includes combating climate change and using resources responsibly.
By reducing both the amount of steam needed and the associated CO2 emissions, WACKER is supporting the following SDGs:
- SDG 12: Sustainable consumption and production
- SDG 13: Climate action
Contact
We would be happy to assist you with any questions you may have concerning sustainability at WACKER.
Send a message