International breakthrough for Opcon Powerbox - first export order
[2009-04-14 8:35]
International breakthrough for Opcon Powerbox - first export order
Opcon, the Swedish energy and environmental technology Group, has won its first export order for the Opcon Powerbox. The order marks an international breakthrough for Opcons newly launched product for production of CO2-free electricity from waste heat. At the same time, the set delivery to an Australian mining site, opens up several new segments where the installation will be made at the kind of diesel generator sets widely used for electricity production worldwide, including onboard larger ships. Delivery is set to September 2009.
The client is CoGen Power that is installing and operating the Opcon Powerbox at the Jaguar Base Metal mine wholly owned and operated by Jabiru Metals Ltd as CoGen’s reference site in Australia. Together with reduced parasitic load on cooling systems CoGen estimates that the Opcon Powerbox, which will be powered with waste heat from both engine jacket water and a heat exchanged hot exhaust gas stream, will help reducing fuel burn and carbon emissions by up to 25%.
"This is an international break through for our technology to produce CO2-free electricity from waste heat and evidence to that our internationalisation strategy is starting to bear fruit. With this order from CoGen we get a paying reference site in Australia, with its large distances and high electricity prices, making it an attractive market for Opcon Powerbox and our technology for CO2-free electricity production. Still, the opportunities at the Australian market are just the tip of the iceberg. Waste heat is a huge, largely untapped potential for producing new electricity around the world. According to the US Department of Energy there is more waste heat available in American industry than all of the electricity produced from all renewable energy sources in the US put together", says Rolf Hasselström, CEO, Opcon AB.
CoGen has been incorporated to design and commission waste heat recovery systems initially focusing on a 2.3 million square kilometre area, roughly five times the size of Sweden, covering the Kimberly, Pilbara, Gasgoyne, Mid West and Southern Goldfields regions that are off the South Western Interconnected Grid (Western Australia). The target market consist of mines and remote regional centres/communities, the majority being supplied by on-site, fossil fuel electricity generation systems where fuel only costs for electricity production amounts to 32 cents AUD/kWh / 1,80 SEK/kWh .
"This first Opcon Powerbox unit will be installed at Jabiru Metals´ Jaguar Base Metal mine site, significantly increasing the power generation capacity without increasing emissions or fuel used. After getting this first "green tech" solution in place as a reference site we plan to install a minimum of 170 MW of this zero fuel, zero emission generation capacity within five years", says Ross Smith, Managing Director of CoGen.
"Just in the State of Western Australia we are looking at more than 300 operating mines off the grid that use their own, costly power generation facilities. On the average mine site there is room for one or two Opcon Powerboxes. At large Iron Ore operations with 40 MW generation capacity or greater, there is room for up to eight Opcon Powerbox units. And that is just in the mining sector. Add all regional centers/communities in remote areas that are powered by fossil fuel burning generator systems and you see the scope of what savings this green technology can bring both to our customers as well as to the environment", says Ross Smith, Managing Director of CoGen.
"With the Federal Australian Government introducing an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) on July 1 2010 there will be tremendous commercial interest from power producers, mining companies and general industry in Australia. All of these companies will be liable for A$25/tonne in carbon emitted, to put that into context a large 40MW diesel power station burns 9,600lts of diesel per hour 24/7. At 2.7kg of carbon per litre of diesel burned, a 25% reduction in carbon and fuel at A$1.32 per litre represents huge savings to the client and a very lucrative market for CoGen’s recovered energy solution.", says Ross Smith, Managing Director of CoGen.
Opcon Powerbox is a product developed by Opcon for the production of new carbon-free electricity from waste heat at temperatures as low as 55°C. A standard Opcon Powerbox is at 0,7 MW and can be installed in large process-industry plants, power stations or with adaption, onboard larger ships. By utilizing waste heat, electricity is produced from a source that would otherwise go to waste.
For further information please contact: Niklas Johansson, vice president, Investor Relations, tel. 08-466 45 00, 070-592 54 53
Opcon is an energy and environmental technology Group that develops, produces and markets systems and products for eco-friendly, efficient and resource-effective use of energy.
Opcon has operations in Sweden, China and Denmark. There are around 360 employees. The company´s shares are listed on Nasdaq OMX Stockholm. The Group comprises three business areas:
Renewable Energy focuses on generating electricity from surplus heat, bioenergy, systems for handling natural gas, industrial cooling, heat recovery, drying of biomass, cleaning of flue gases, air systems for fuel cells and measurement and monitoring of processes. The business area comprises the following subsidiaries: Svenska Rotor Maskiner (SRM), Opcon Energy Systems (OES), REF Technology, Svensk Rökgasenergi (SRE), Värmlands Montage Teknik and the trademarks Opcon Autorotor and Mitec Instrument.
Engine Efficiency focuses on ignition systems for combustion engines including ethanol, natural gas and biogas engines. The business area comprises the following subsidiaries: SEM, Opcon Technology Suzhou and Laminova Production.
Mobility Products focuses on technology for positioning, motion and regulation for electrical vehicles and electrical wheelchairs. The business area comprises the following subsidiaries: REAC and Balle.
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