24 March 2015
Corporate News

New high-efficiency power plant halves energy costs and CO2 emissions at Tata Steel battery steel plant in Germany

Tata Steel has almost halved energy costs at its steel facility in Düsseldorf after building an innovative new power plant.

The combined and heat power (CHP) plant will reduce the site’s annual energy costs by about €1 million (£750,000) and cut emissions of CO2 by almost 50%. The power station is the company’s first of its type and has been built on the premises of Hille & Müller, part of Tata Steel’s plating business.

The enterprise, which employs 275 people, is one of Europe’s leading producers of specialised steel which is used to case household and car batteries. It was also the first company in the world to produce electroplated steel strip.

As well as producing electricity, Tata Steel’s €2.8 million (£2.1m) gas-fuelled CHP plant turns by-product heat into steam, which is used in manufacturing processes as well as to heat buildings for employees. The new plant will reduce CO2 from the site by the equivalent emissions of about 2,000 homes.

Friedmar Schittko, Managing Director of Hille & Müller in Düsseldorf, explained: “By installing this new plant we have taken a decisive step towards our long-term aim of becoming self-sufficient in energy, which improves our competitiveness and makes our operations more resource-friendly.

“In future we will be able to produce about half of our own electricity in Düsseldorf – about 13000 megawatts hours per year. This is equivalent to supplying almost 3,000 households with electricity.

“We are also looking into whether we can supply heat to neighbouring businesses.”

Following a testing phase, the CHP plant is now fully operational. The plant consists of two high-temperature boilers and a power-heat cogeneration facility. The 2,500bhp engine (equivalent to about 25 car engines) for the power-heat cogeneration runs on natural gas and has a rated power generating capacity of 2,000 kW. The plant also produces about 2,000 kW of by-product heat, which is turned into steam and used in manufacturing processes and to heat buildings for employees.

The installation of the CHP plant is just one component of Tata Steel’s strategy to improve its own energy management. Hille & Müller has also implemented an energy management system according to the ISO 50001 standard, certified by the technical control board (TÜV).

Download related image: part of the new energy-efficient power plant at Hille & Müller.

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Contact for further information
Mareike Schröder, T. +49 (0)40 460 68 175 or E. mareike.schroeder@orcavanloon.de
Bob Jones, T. +44 (0)20 717 4532 or E. bob.jones@tatasteel.com

About Hille & Müller Hille & Müller, Düsseldorf, was founded in 1905 and is now the headquarters of Tata Steel’s plating business with about 275 employees. It was the first company in the world to produce electroplated steel strip. More than 100 years’ experience and a longstanding commitment to innovation have made Hille & Müller the world's leading expert in nickel-plated cold rolled strip.

About Tata Steel’s German operations
Tata Steel operates a group of production, distribution and sales operations from 13 locations across Germany. The company’s steel processing and distribution facilities form part of Europe’s second largest distribution and service network in terms of regional coverage, incorporating other well-known businesses. Hille & Müller in Düsseldorf is one of the world’s leading producers of plated steel strip for the battery industry. In addition, three businesses serve the building envelope market: 1) Kalzip, a leader in the manufacture and supply of tailored aluminium roofing and cladding; 2) Fischer Profil, one of Europe's leading manufacturers of roof and wall elements for industrial buildings; and 3) SAB-profil, Germany’s largest supplier of sandwich panels and profiled cladding.

About Tata Steel’s European operations
Tata Steel is Europe's second largest steel producer, with steelmaking in the UK and Netherlands, and manufacturing plants across Europe. The company supplies high-quality steel products to the most demanding markets, including construction, automotive, packaging, rail, lifting & excavating, energy and aerospace. Tata Steel works with customers to develop new steel products that give them a competitive edge. The combined Tata Steel group is one of the world’s largest steel producers, with a steel capacity of more than 28 million tonnes and 80,000 employees across five continents.

 

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