Paper and pulp production depends on fossil fuels for thermal energy and generates carbon emissions. Producers can reduce primary energy consumption by recovering waste heat and reusing it as heating steam. Piller Blowers & Compressors supplies solutions based on Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) and industrial heat pump technology.
Processes such as black liquor evaporation and paper drying require steam. Waste heat from these and other process steps can be reused through MVR. Recovering and reusing process waste heat as heating steam can reduce primary energy demand by up to 75 percent, cut energy costs for process steam by up to 90 percent, and reduce carbon emissions by up to 60 percent, at efficiency levels of up to 87 percent. MVR can be applied across a range of processes in the paper industry.
Direct and indirect waste heat utilization
MVR enables direct waste heat utilization by compressing exhaust steam from the process (vapors) to a higher pressure and temperature, allowing the steam to be reused as a heating medium. When waste heat involves contaminated process steam or liquid media, energy is transferred indirectly through heat exchangers, which generate live steam at low pressure and temperature. This steam is then compressed to the required pressure and temperature and fed back into the process.
Compressor technology for the paper and pulp industry
Piller Blowers & Compressors provides solutions for steam compression, industrial heat pumps, and steam system optimization for the paper and pulp sector. The VapoLine series includes the VapoFan, VapoFlex, and VapoMaxX compressors, covering different application requirements based on process, mass flow rate, and pressure lift.
About Piller Blowers & Compressors
Piller Blowers & Compressors GmbH, based in Moringen, develops, designs, and manufactures blowers and compressors for the process industry. The company dates to 1909 and serves the food, pulp and paper, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and industrial wastewater treatment sectors. Piller states its blowers and compressors can reduce energy requirements by up to 75 percent, cut CO2 emissions by over 60 percent, and lower energy costs by up to 90 percent. Services include engineering, project planning, design, manufacturing, commissioning, training, inspection, repairs, and system optimization. The company has 540 employees, branches in the USA, Singapore, China, and Australia, and joint ventures in Korea, India, and Brazil. Group sales were around 130 million euros in 2024.
