Dieffenbacher has received an order from the Quito-based particleboard manufacturer Novopan del Ecuador for a 30MW energy plant that uses reciprocating grate technology to combust waste wood.
The order also includes a Maier Big Crusher and Maier Rechipper to process waste wood and eucalyptus bark.
Novopan will use the Maier Big Crusher to shred large-volume and bulky residues from plywood and particleboard production, as well as waste wood, while the Rechipper will resize eucalyptus bark.
The project includes connecting the new energy plant to an existing vertical combustion chamber and replacing the heavy oil burner.
Delivery of the components is planned for December 2024, with installation starting in January 2025 and commissioning expected in May 2025.
“This new energy plant moves us away from burning oil and toward biomass, further accelerating our sustainability efforts,” says Ignacio Bustamante, CEO of Novopan del Ecuador.
“We were impressed by Dieffenbacher’s expertise in combining the drum dryer and hot gas generator and their grate design tailored to waste wood.”
The new order continues the relationship between Novopan and Dieffenbacher, which began in 2008 when Dieffenbacher took over the wood-based panels business from Metso, the original supplier of Novopan’s first continuous particleboard line.
Other milestones in the co-operation between the two companies were the expansion of the forming station, the addition of a second cooling wheel, replacement of the prepress and retrofitting of an EVOjet P glue-saving system for the first line.
The most significant achievement, however, was the delivery, installation and commissioning of Novopan’s second continuous particleboard line in 2019.
