PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Luxemburg plant of Kronospan produces panels made from engineered wood products - oriented strand board (OSB) and medium-density fibreboard (MDF). These composite materials are manufactured by binding fibres or particles of wood together with the use of adhesives or other fixation methods.
In the production plant, a vast amount of energy is used, mostly for wood-drying applications. Water is mainly used in the process of cleaning the wood and for steam generation.
Kronospan Luxembourg S.A. is aware of its corporate responsibility towards future generations and has an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement of the environmental efficiency of its products and manufacturing processes. It has already made significant efforts to reduce the environmental impact of specific parts of its production lines, but not previously by considering the production plant as a whole.
OBJECTIVES
In June 2012 Kronospan and its partner, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, launched the project "Factory of the Future: Demonstration of wood panel manufacture with a near zero environmental footprint".
The final goal of the project was to attain a semi-autonomous production plant with an extremely low environmental footprint. This includes very low consumption of energy and water from non-renewable sources, and very low greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the intention was to demonstrate that this could be achieved whilst maintaining both production volume and quality.
The goals of the project will be achieved by combining existing best practices with innovative technologies. Planned actions were to focus on:
RESULTS
The Factory of the Future project implemented numerous improvements and modifications on existing equipment in one of the Kronospan factories, which led directly to important reductions in energy and water consumption associated with the production of boards from OSB and MDF, 2010-2016:
Unfortunately, the beneficiary was not able to complete all the planned modification during the project lifetime (until October 2016), therefore not all quantitative objectives were met. Nevertheless, it has continued with implementation and further major benefits are expected. Notably, a new Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit has been fully operational since June 2017 and is expected to deliver important additional savings in water and energy consumption and GHG emissions by producing green energy and recycling resources within the system.
The innovation value of the 'Factory of the Future' is linked to the fact that several best available technologies were implemented and proved to work simultaneously on one single site. These included a: steam generation processor; condensation water circuit; dust generator; and rainwater-collection system.
Tests conducted during the project' lifetime - such as analyses of product and water quality - confirm that working conditions and the high quality of the products were maintained during the full operation of the Factory of the Future, and in an economically viable manner. This increases its replicability potential.
The demonstration value of the project is expected to be even stronger with the completion of this CHP unit and additional measures for collecting and treating surface water.
Policy-wise, the project directly contributes to fulfilling the objectives of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EU) and the European Union Climate and Energy Package for 2020.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).
The Factory of the Future project implemented numerous improvements and modifications on existing equipment in one of the Kronospan factories, which led directly to important reductions in energy and water consumption associated with the production of boards from OSB and MDF, 2010-2016:Unfortunately, the beneficiary was not able to complete all the planned modification during the project lifetime (until October 2016), therefore not all quantitative objectives were met. Nevertheless, it has continued with implementation and further major benefits are expected. Notably, a new Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit has been fully operational since June 2017 and is expected to deliver important additional savings in water and energy consumption and GHG emissions by producing green energy and recycling resources within the system.
The innovation value of the 'Factory of the Future' is linked to the fact that several best available technologies were implemented and proved to work simultaneously on one single site. These included a: steam generation processor; condensation water circuit; dust generator; and rainwater-collection system.
Tests conducted during the project' lifetime - such as analyses of product and water quality - confirm that working conditions and the high quality of the products were maintained during the full operation of the Factory of the Future, and in an economically viable manner. This increases its replicability potential.
The demonstration value of the project is expected to be even stronger with the completion of this CHP unit and additional measures for collecting and treating surface water.
Policy-wise, the project directly contributes to fulfilling the objectives of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EU) and the European Union Climate and Energy Package for 2020.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).
