Yokogawa Acquires Dublix, a Provider of Optimization Technologies for Waste-to-Energy and Biomass Power Plants

The addition of Dublix's combustion control and boiler performance enhancement solutions to Yokogawa's lineup of control, monitoring, and maintenance systems will enable the provision of solutions that make both WTE and biomass power plants more efficient and profitable.

WTE and biomass power plants incinerate fuels such as municipal household waste, waste wood, wood pellets, palm seeds, bagasse, and rice husks. Given that the fuel contains mostly non fossil portions, less fossil CO2 is produced. Moreover, as this kind of fuel provides a more reliable supply of power than other renewable energy sources, demand for such power generation as a distributed power source that supplies power to nearby communities is increasing.

Plants that rely on this fuel source burn it to produce steam in a boiler, and a steam turbine extracts the energy from the steam to drive a rotating shaft in a generator that produces electricity. One issue at such plants is that the combustion of these fuels can be unstable due to inconsistent composition with varying calorific value and moisture content, resulting in significant fluctuations in the amount of generated steam. To achieve stable steam generation for the high-quality supply of power, it is desirable to have in place a highly efficient means for the control of the combustion process.

Dublix answers these needs by providing design, operation, maintenance, and customized solutions that improve availability and efficiency while reducing the environmental impact of both WTE and biomass power plants. Dublix currently operates in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Dublix's FuzEvent™ is a high-performance advanced combustion-control software solution that uses proprietary predictive control technology and leverages the company's process know-how. Based on historical operating data and analysis of operating procedures carried out by experienced personnel, this software enables operators to keep plants operating at optimal efficiency around-the-clock. By ensuring a stable supply of steam and maximizing its use, the software helps to improve generation efficiency, increase combustion capacity, and improve profitability for the plant operator. The emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX) and other harmful gases due to incomplete combustion are also reduced.

Dublix's DD-Jet™ system has been proven to be the most effective solution for cleaning the open pass sections of a boiler. For WTE plants to operate efficiently, regular cleaning of the boiler is necessary to remove the fly ash and deposits that easily accumulate on the inside walls of the boiler as the result of the combustion process. Using jets of water from rotating nozzles, the DD-Jet system is effective at removing substances that have accumulated on the boiler walls, even in distant hard-to-reach locations, and is able to do so while the plant is operating. This helps boiler efficiency, increases the amount of steam that a boiler can produce, reduces corrosion, extends its lifespan, and decreases the likelihood of unplanned shutdowns. In addition to the FuzEvent and DD-Jet solutions, Dublix has several other boiler combustion control solutions that can improve efficiency and ensure the profitable operation of both WTE and biomass power plants.

Targeting the global WTE and biomass combustion market, Yokogawa provides integrated production control system, data measurement, and facility maintenance solutions. With Dublix as a subsidiary, Yokogawa will be able to leverage its global network to provide customers all over the world a broader range of solutions that improve the operation, performance, and profitability of both new and existing WTE and biomass power plants. By helping companies ensure a stable supply of renewable energy and reduce their fossil CO2 and NOX emissions, Yokogawa will contribute toward the achievement of its “Three goals” for sustainability for the year 2050 as well as the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.

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