Process Knowledge, Big Data, Hydrogen and Sustainable Fuels

Over the past year, Europe has experienced unprecedented energy cost volatility caused primarily by the unfolding geopolitical crisis and fueled by the consumption recovery after two years of the pandemic. The dramatic surge in energy costs is apparent when comparing the Q3 figures for 2021 and 2022. The countries that have suffered the most are those whose energy mix is skewed toward natural gas as a primary energy source. This is all part of a challenging European decarbonization plan involving industry, mobility and housing with ambitious targets for 2030-35. Solar Turbines looks at the energy system as a highly integrated and interconnected whole – a network increasingly benefiting from the contribution of renewable energy, but also affected by the need to ensure its availability and stabilty.

For this reason, Solar is the primary partner for energy solutions based on latest generation turbogas integrated with SMART digital architechtures operating in the big data sphere.

Powering the future through sustainable, innovative energy solutions

Digital SMART systems and energy optimization

This refers to an energy optimization system that can interface with the different energy markets (i.e. Spot, Day Ahead, Ancillary Services) that allows us to increase the efficiency of cogeneration while reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. Through digitization, we can also control, along with the CHP plant, all production parameters (steam demand, electricity demand, load changes, and paper machine set-up). These parameters are then integrated with each other and the various factors exogenous to the production system, such as the cost of CO₂ and hourly carbon intensity, the cost of gas and electricity, the grid frequency, and the nodal electrical load of the area to which it belongs.

The SMART concept expressly consists of this integrated approach to the internal and external world.
The energy optimization system developed by Solar Turbines can continuously monitor these parameters. If the customer decides to maximize the yield or minimize CO₂ emissions, the system will suggest operational set points to achieve the target.

The optimum with Solar Turbines’ Turbogas

Solar Turbines’ energy optimization system fits within the framework of decision support systems models based on the integrated management of energy supply and use from disparate sources available in the local grid and their availability or variation. As mentioned above, it can instantly suggest the best way to operate.

For example, it will choose whether to favor the make option in electric control over thermal control or the buy option by taking supplies directly from other sources.
Of the possible solutions, it will opt for the one able to provide the company with the most significant benefit, the smallest loss or minimization of carbon intensity.

Hydrogen and bio-fuels: decades of boots on the ground experience

The SMART system’s Industry 4.0 approach is then complemented by Solar’s established turbogas technology, thanks to the operational flexibility of its turbines and the millions of hours of accumulated experience using hydrogen, bio-gas, bio-methane and the main bio-fuels to date on the market with dozens of turbogas units operating in a wide variety of industrial and service sectors.

Immediately competitive and sustainable

This is the key to improving the performance of pulp and paper companies and increasing their competitiveness.
Solar Turbines’ solutions are available now on new, state-of-the-art machines up to 40 MWe, while our experts can also support you in retrofitting existing installations.

Solar Turbines (Caterpillar Group)

Solar Turbines Incorporated, headquartered in San Diego, California, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc. Solar manufactures the world’s most widely used family of mid-sized industrial gas turbines, ranging from 1 to 23 megawatts. More than 16,000 Solar units are operating in more than 100 countries with more than 3 billion operating hours. Solar is a leading provider of energy solutions, featuring an extensive line of gas turbine-powered compressor sets, mechanical drive packages, and generator sets.