Product focus: Horizon+ rotary boiler
Article posted on 22.01.2021
We’re super proud to be the UK’s exclusive distributor of Sugimat’s industry-leading Waste-to-Energy boilers – and we recently signed an exclusive deal to continue this for the next five years.
In fact, we were recently interviewed by MRW about Sugimat’s latest technology – the Horizon+ boiler – which we’ve brought to the UK’s waste and recycling market.
If you missed the original article, you can catch up below…
Q: What is your product/technology?
The Horizon+ rotary boiler – manufactured by Sugimat – is capable of handling most types of fuels, particularly problematic solid waste fuels such as RDF and SRF. It is designed to work with flue gases from the combustion of solid wastes, for either a hot water or thermal oil application.
Q: How does it work? (why do you need it?)
The Horizon+ system is available in models spanning 300 kW to 12MW and can be used to generate electricity up to 3 MW.
The boiler itself is mounted on a frame – equipped with casters – and driven by a gear motor, which enables it to rotate on the axis of the coils at a slow speed of up to four revolutions per minute. The rotary movement – coupled with the screw action of the coils that form the heat exchanger body – allows suspended particles in the gas flow to be discharged through an outlet.
This drives the maximum operational hours possible, while optimising combustion efficiency and maintaining equipment cleanliness.
Q: Where would it ideally be used? (and are there places where it might not work so well?)
The Horizon+ is suited to Waste-to-Energy applications using fuels with sticky or high ash contents – up to 30% – such as RDF and SRF.
Q: How is it different? (eg to products on the market? / is it unique in any way).
Unlike conventional boilers, that are often unable to manage flue gases with high fly ash content, the continuous granular cleaning system removes any surface ash on the heat exchanger coils – negating the need to stop the operation and maintaining heat exchanger optimum performance at all times. This prevents lengthy shutdown processes, whereby the system would typically have to cool to fix the problem, before being fired back up.
Also, in conventional boilers, combustion gases are not distributed uniformly within the heater – creating dead spots and areas with high gas flow – and in static heat exchangers, gases do not behave consistently across the surfaces.
Q: What benefits does it offer? (eg what are its plus points).
The rotary nature guarantees minimised downtime for cleaning, optimum efficiency for heat transfer, and controlled exhaust gas temperature.
In addition, the horizontal design means it can be sited in a building only 15m high – helping to avoid potential planning issues and reducing construction costs.
Q: Where has it been used? (eg give an example of a place/company that is using it)
A system is being installed in 2021 at a well-known event venue – where it will be operating on a mix of waste straw bales and waste wood as well as RDF, to supplement its fuel source. It will provide heat and power for the entire site.
Q: Cost? (eg give a rough costing of a piece or pieces of plant to give an idea)
Each boiler is bespoke – designed and constructed to the individual needs of the business – but the cost would be comparable to that of a traditional vertical, static design.
Q Any savings? (eg how much either in pounds or saved time or production levels).
Savings are demonstrated by the reduced manual intervention and omission of plant downtime, usually required for the cleaning of traditional boilers.
Q: What about maintenance? (eg can this be done in-house or externally and how often and how long does this take and does it involve any down time).
Because the Horizon+ rotates slowly, minimal maintenance is required. In addition, it guarantees 8,000 operational hours per year.
Q: What is its life span? (eg how long does it last either in years or production cycles)
It has a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty for the coils – which have a projected life of at least 20 years under normal operating conditions.
Q: How is it future-proofed? (eg waste legislation is changing constantly how have you made sure it can keep up and not become obsolete).
It has been constructed with ‘fuels of the future’ in mind. This encompasses fuels that have been overlooked or excluded to date because of the challenges associated with their combustion.
Q: Any future applications? (eg do you plan to apply the technology to other processes? How does the equipment fit in with the company’s future plans).
The equipment is specifically targeted at decentralised energy recovery facilities using RDF and SRF as fuel.
Q: How many have you sold and where? (or where do you see it being sold)
We have sold two so far and are expecting two further orders this year. We’ve also received over 100 enquiries in the UK relating to decentralised Energy-from-Waste facilities.
Q: Anything else?
It was the operational difficulties and cost of maintenance of normal systems apparent in the market, that catalysed the development of the Horizon+ innovation.
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