Strategies for Steam Reduction in PVC Production: Advancing Sustainability at Vynova Beek

This project was carried out at Vynova Beek, a leading PVC manufacturer, with the primary goal of reducing the plant’s steam consumption. This effort supports the company’s sustainability targets of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and an interim 55% reduction by 2030 based on the reference year 1990, in line with European FitFor55 objectives, while also addressing the anticipated rise in steam prices. To achieve this, three main strategies were explored:
1) pinch analysis to assess steam consumption efficiency and identify heat recovery opportunities
2) process improvements to inherently reduce steam consumption
3) the design and evaluation of industrial heat pumps to offset part of the steam demand. Heat pumps play a critical role in achieving the company’s sustainability goals.