Aurubis awarded Best Practice in Energy Efficiency label

Aurubis AG was awarded the Best Practice in Energy Efficiency label by the German Energy Agency (dena) on Monday in Berlin. The company’s innovative project to produce electricity highly efficiently and flexibly on the basis of waste heat at the Lünen Recycling Center was honored.

The melting processes used to recover metals at the Aurubis Group’s Lünen Recycling Center result in a high volume of waste heat that is used to produce steam in waste heat boilers. A two-stage condensation turbine was installed to utilize the steam optimally. This turbine with a maximum wattage of about 6 MW is distinguished by its high level of innovation. The facility, which was designed for Aurubis’ needs, is in a position to make use of the production plant’s fluctuating waste heat steam profile fully automatically and flexibly with intelligent measurement and control systems. In the process, the production facilities’ waste heat is converted into electricity and the residual heat is used for additional processes, achieving the optimum energy recovery possible.

This installation is referred to as a cogeneration plant, which produces electricity and useful heat at the same time. This allows the fuel utilized – in this case the waste heat – to be used much more efficiently than conventional production in separate facilities.

The installation at the Aurubis Lünen Recycling Center produces about 23 million kWh of electricity annually. This corresponds to about 14 % of the Lünen plant’s electricity demand or the average electricity demand of roughly 6,500 three-person households. Furthermore, this prevents 14,000 t of CO 2 emissions per year (dena CO 2 factor).

This distinction honors our innovative force and our commitment to the highest level of energy efficiency. At the same time, it serves as a motivation to stay on the ball,

said Astrid Herbers, Plant Manager at the Aurubis recycling site in Lünen, about the distinction.

In addition to the Best Practice in Energy Efficiency label, Aurubis’ two-stage condensation turbine was nominated for the international Energy Efficiency Award 2015. Aurubis is thus one of the 15 best applicants of the group of about 100. The award winners will be honored during the dena Energy Efficiency Congress in front of an audience of specialists and decision-makers from industry, business, politics and research on November 16, 2015 in Berlin.

The steam turbine was licensed by the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control as a highly efficient cogeneration plant and thus receives cogeneration funding.