Tackling potash's carbon challenge
Potash producers globally are facing mounting pressure to decarbonize their operations. Driven by environmental concerns, regulatory pressures,
stakeholder expectations and market demand, the industry at large is being called upon to improve its energy profile and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In the March/April issue of Fertilizer International, Igor Makarenko, Chief Sales Officer at Solex Thermal Science, discusses that, while much is being done by producers, there are still significant barriers that include high capital costs, regulatory approvals and long implementation timelines.
"The potash industry needs access right now to low-cost carbon reduction measures with a high return on investment (ROI). This is particularly true for natural gas combustion, which is the single largest source of GHG emissions in traditional potash mining," he says.
Makarenko notes the adoption of heat pipe heat exchangers (HPHEs) has great potential in the potash industry. In the potash industry, HPHEs can be used to recover thermal energy from particle-laden air that is discharged from direct-fired rotary and fluidized bed dryers.
"The recovery of waste heat is an attractive option for the potash industry, as it provides the opportunity to decrease primary energy consumption, while also reducing GHG emissions," he says.
"Although highly challenging previously, reclaiming thermal energy from waste heat sources is now possible thanks to the availability of robust and reliable equipment such as HPHEs."
This entry was tagged Energy, Cooling, and last updated on 2024-4-18
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