Successful decarbonization at Glatfelter Gernsbach
For many years, specialty papers have been produced in the center of Gernsbach, a city in the south of Germany. Capacitor paper, cigarette paper and many other specialties were in the production portfolio. Today, the company is a market leader in the tea bag sector and also produces overlay papers. Long fibers and their special processing require special machines. High dilution rates in the headbox and the resulting high dewatering performance for the most diverse grades also require an extremely flexible vacuum system.
Higher energy efficiency is just one argument for using a blower instead of a water ring air pump. At Glatfelter Gernsbach GmbH, the water temperature Δt in the receiving water was also a focus. Every m³ that does not increase the discharge temperature relieves the situation and makes the installation of cooling units unnecessary. In addition, a vacuum blower on the pressure side is a real energy source. Hot dry air is fed through two heat exchangers and the energy obtained is used, among other things, to dry the paper web.
From the first point of contact, the entire Glatfelter team was fully committed to the project. By choosing MAN Energy Solutions SE as a partner, they chose a blower with the greatest flexibility in terms of vacuum height and air volume. Another pillar of the concept is the use of standard motors and stable high-performance gearboxes.
The experienced project managers worked with the MAN team to test and evaluate the installation options. Once the two locations for the blowers had been determined, the team was fully challenged to build the necessary infrastructure and overcome one or two hurdles. Converting an existing plant without weeks of production downtime is significantly more complex than a new installation. The location of the factory also requires special attention to be paid to limiting noise emissions.
The expected improvement in energy efficiency also provides an extra portion of motivation. After all, over 40% less energy is to be used at the motor. In addition, 65% of the coupling energy can be recuperated via the two-stage heat exchanger. This means that, in total, 80% less energy has to be used for a better vacuum solution.
However, vacuum is only one step towards decarbonization. The paper industry in Germany must take further steps to maintain its competitiveness under the current conditions.