A Spanish food manufacturer commissioned INTEC GMK to supply an ORC plant with combined heat and power (CHP). The high-performance plant was designed, engineered, and delivered by us as a modular system. It is used to harness thermal energy from the exhaust gas stream of a biomass combustion system.

Process Description:

The hot exhaust gases from biomass combustion heat a thermal oil to approximately 330 °C in a heat recovery boiler. This oil flows through the evaporator of the ORC system, where it transfers heat to an organic working fluid. The working fluid evaporates at 310 °C, expands in an axial turbine, and drives a generator to produce electricity (1.3 MWel). At the turbine outlet, the fluid is still available at around 240 °C. This waste heat is utilized in a second heat exchanger for internal process applications. The system therefore operates in combined heat and power (CHP) mode.

Efficiency and Technology:

• Electrical efficiency: approx. 10%
• Overall efficiency in CHP operation: 30–33%
• Mode of operation: fully automated, modular, low-maintenance
• Working fluid: organic fluid with high thermal stability
• Heat transfer: indirect via thermal oil circuit

This plant serves as a model of how ORC technology can efficiently convert high-temperature waste heat from renewable sources such as biomass into usable forms of energy. The modular design allows flexible integration into existing industrial processes. With this installation, Spain is making a strong statement for technical innovation in the decarbonization of industrial heat use - particularly in the food industry, one of the country's largest industrial sectors.