Alfa Laval Compabloc saves energy in ammonium nitrate production

When a fertilizer manufacturer in Slovakia, built their ammonium nitrate evaporation system in 1999, there was one criteria above all others for the design. It had to be efficient. With that in mind, they discovered that Alfa Laval Compabloc heat exchangers could help keep both their evaporator cost – and their energy bill – down.

DATE 2023-11-28

Their bottom line just got a lot hotter

At the plant, two Compablocs are used to save no less than 5MW of energy by means of reduced steam consumption in the second effect evaporator.

By using Compabloc heat exchangers for preheating incoming 80% ammonium nitrate with 95% concentrated ammonium nitrate, they were able to save large amounts of energy.

In fact, without the Compablocs it would not be possible to concentrate the ammonium nitrate without a substantial increase of the evaporator size and much higher steam consumption.

Alfa Laval Compabloc heat exchangerThe compact, fully welded Compabloc heat exchanger is designed to operate with a wide range of aggressive media and at high temperatures and pressures. 

More about Compabloc 

Benefits

  • 5 megawatts of steam energy saved
  • Possible to concentrate the ammonium nitrate without a substantial increase of the evaporator size and without significantly higher steam consumption.

Challenge

When they built their ammonium nitrate plant in 1999, the company was looking for the optimal solution in terms of a compact, robust and energy efficient solution.

Solution

The Compabloc welded plate heat exchanger from Alfa Laval is suitable for operation in chemically aggressive environments and for handling high-temperature fluids.

With accessibility to all heat transfer channels, maintenance is  straightforward and efficient.