25MW High-Pressure Electrode Steam Boiler to Aughinish Alumina in Ireland

Aughinish Alumina is the largest alumina refinery in Europe and located in Ireland. (Photo: Aughinish Alumina)


The Electrode Boiler will deliver 40 tons of High-Pressure Steam/hour with 22kV connection. PARAT to deliver a complete steam system with control panel, 450kW Superheater that will lift the steam temperature to 277°C. The delivery will also include Circulation Circuit with Pumps and pre-fabricated pipes, feed water circuit, chemical and blow down tank. The design pressure is 62 barg but will be operated with 52.5 barg pressure. The boiler will enter into operation late 2023.

PARAT Halvorsen are innovating our Electrode boilers to reach new demands and clients, giving them numerous ways to utilize this fantastic boiler either as stand-alone or together with existing boilers, ready for the future.

The High-Pressure Electrode Steam Boiler from PARAT are now ready to reduce CO2 emissions from large industrial companies, by replacing the fossil fuel boilers with clean Electrical steam production of up to 85 barg design pressure. This will be a major game changer in the conversion from fossil fuel to clean electrical heat and to decarbonize high-capacity steam production. PARAT takes the High Voltage Electrode Boiler technology up to the next level.

Aughinish Alumina Ltd has been granted Innovation Funding from EU for this project.


The 25 MW High Pressure Electrode Boiler will replace close to 10% of the current demand for steam at the site and avoid 5% of GHG emissions compared to a conventional technology. (Photo: Aughinish Alumina)


About Aughinish Alumina
Aughinish Alumina is the largest alumina refinery in Europe. The plant was built between 1978 and 1983. Aughinish Alumina has always been to the forefront in terms of technology in the industry. Year after year it implements the most modern technologies available to ensure it remains one of the top alumina producers in the world.

Read more about Aughinish Alumina here



EU Innovation Fund announcement:

Aughinish Alumina Ltd Granted Innovation Funding from EU

Driving clean innovative technologies towards the market. Using flexible electrical demand to facilitate higher levels of renewable energy

The AAL SEB project aims to partially decarbonise the production of high-pressure steam used in Aughinish Alumina’s aluminium refinery, by substituting existing gas-fired boilers with an electric boiler powered during peak renewable production. The project will enable the use of renewable electricity that would otherwise be constrained or curtailed. The 25 MW high pressure electric boiler will replace close to 10% of the current demand for steam at the site and avoid 5% of GHG emissions compared to a conventional technology.


The choice of electrification over alternative fuels
The project will be the first application of a high-pressure electric boiler within an energy intensive industry. Whilst to date the operating limit of electric boilers has been 30Barg1, the high pressure and high voltage boiler used in this project will operate at 62Barg. Electrification is the most convenient of all the alternative options for replacing the gas-fired boiler and to produce high-pressure steam. The electric boiler will offer larger power capacity than current hydrogen-based technologies, will not rely on raw material availability that usually constrains bio-methane and will avoid the logistical challenges of biomass.

The plant’s constant steam demand will be guaranteed by using already proven smart controls, enabling the interaction of the electric boilers (operated by a non-constant supply of renewable energy) with the existing CHP steam generation.


Supporting larger renewable penetration through dispatchable demand
The AAL SEB project will deliver zero-carbon heat, representing close to 10% of the current demand for steam of the alumina plant, thereby avoiding 5% of GHG emissions.

The benefits from commissioning the electric boiler are economic for both the company and the local electricity supply chain: it will (1) operate during times of high renewable generation (i.e. when wholesale prices are low); (2) reduce the need for wind generation curtailment (i.e. the wind farms located in the same grid constrained area as Aughinish will operate at higher output levels); and, (3) offer demand response services to the grid operator (reducing the need for peak electricity generation from fossil fuel generators).


Large scale-up potential within industries with high-pressure steam needs
The project has good potential for further on-site expansion, based on the on-site demand for steam. There is also a large potential for transferring the innovative solution to other sites of the aluminium production company that operates in 13 different countries.

The technology is not associated with any significant resource constraints, making it easily replicable in other industrial sectors requiring high-pressure steam to reduce their reliance on natural gas (e.g. dairy, food, beverage and pharmaceutical). In those sectors in Ireland only, electric boilers operating 33% of the year could save 1.4 million tCO₂ per year.