Late last year John Thompson’s Industrial Watertube Boilers (IWB) business unit won a contract to convert one of the bagasse-fired boilers in a sugar and ethanol plant in the Philippines for firing by both coal and bagasse.
The contract was awarded by Central Azucarera Don Pedro, Inc (CADPI) for conversion of one of the five 90tph bagasse-fired boilers operating in its refinery in Nasugbu, Batangas in the Philippines for the purpose of producing process steam for the plant during their off-crop periods.
“The conversion of one of the boilers to coal-firing capability, while retaining its existing capability of bagasse-firing, was aimed at increasing production for the refinery as a whole by being able to utilise coal when bagasse is not available during the off-crop periods,” said Russell Warren, General Manager of the IWB unit.
“We were initially commissioned to do a feasibility study to establish that production of the targeted steam output could be achieved through conversion of a single boiler, or whether acquiring a new or second-hand coal fired boiler would have to be resorted to achieve this.
“Our study confirmed it was viable to go the conversion route and we were then invited to tender for the contract, which we were awarded In December 2020.The scope of the retrofit conversion of the boiler is extensive and one of the most significant retrofit projects undertaken in the Philippines by John Thompson,” Russell pointed out.
“The thermal design of the converted boiler is based on providing steam outputs on bagasse at 90tph and on coal at 75tph. The steam requirement was set to be designed for maximum continuous rating of 75t of steam per hour at a pressure of 60MPa and temperature of 480°C at the boiler outlet,” he explained.
The contract encompasses the manufacture and supply of new pneumatic fuel feeding equipment for coal and bagasse firing, a continuous ash discharge stoker (CAD), an ash handling system, a soot blower system, a feedwater heater system, modification of the existing wet gas scrubber and ash clarifier system, a coal handling plant and coal bunker assembly, a retrofit new draft plant, an air heater partial retube and air-side bypass system, controls and instrumentation, retrofit furnace pressure part components and retrofit electrical equipment.
In addition, the contract includes having John Thompson responsible for supervision of site erection works, technical advisory services, commissioning, training, start-up assistance and performance testing of the converted boiler.
At the end of October the John Thompson team was on schedule to meet the planned project handover date for operation of December 23, 2021.
