Paper Technology International 2024 - Journal - Page 57
PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL
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Sustainable waste water cooling in
paper mills: The role of BM Green Cooling
GmbH in heat recovery solutions
Pyry Iltanen, Project Manager, BM Green Cooling GmbH
INTRODUCTION:
The paper industry is a signi昀椀cant contributor to the global economy, supplying a wide range of essential products for companies
and individuals alike. However, the environmental impact of paper production, particularly in terms of waste water management, has led to
increased scrutiny and regulatory pressure. One of the key challenges is the temperature of the waste water discharged from paper mills.
As environmental regulations become tighter, paper mills are compelled to 昀椀nd new sustainable and ef昀椀cient ways to cool their waste water
before it is released into natural water bodies.
Even though the company name Green Cooling suggests only to cooling, in the last years circulating the heat energy has taken
a bigger role. When cooling, heat energy gets transferred between mediums, and previously the heat was usually dissipated to the
environment, to water or to air. When circulating the existing heat energy however, less heat needs to be produced in the 昀椀rst place, saving
valuable resources. The challenge in using the recovered heat is providing the heat to a consumer that bene昀椀ts from the heat, and that the
source side and the consumer side are in balance during the operation.
Environmental Regulations and the Tighter Control:
With constantly growing environmental awareness,
regulatory bodies worldwide are tightening the reins on industries
that contribute to pollution and climate change. As energy intensive
units, paper mills are no exception, facing increasingly stringent
regulations regarding the temperature of waste water discharge. The
impact of elevated waste water temperatures on aquatic ecosystems
is well-documented, ranging from thermal pollution to disruptions
in aquatic life and ecosystems. As a response to these concerns,
paper mills are seeking advanced technologies to comply with these
regulations without compromising their production ef昀椀ciency.
BM Green Cooling GmbH: A Pioneer in Sustainable Cooling
Solutions
BM Green Cooling GmbH emerges as a leader in providing
innovative and sustainable cooling solutions for industries facing
waste water temperature challenges. Waste water can be cooled
in various ways, ranging from cooling pools to mechanically
cooled systems. Usually the cooling is wanted to be made as cost
effectively as possible, as all the resources used in waste water
cooling are, well, wasted. For this reason for example a mechanical
cooling for the waste water is not optimal solution, as the energy and
money used to cool the water is poured down the drain.
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