RAK Rubber Factory Turns To TVP Solar Thermal Plant
17 January 2019
ABU DHABI: With the Expo 2020 right on our doorstep, many companies are looking for ways to demonstrate real innovation in renewable energy, CO2 reduction, and, needless to say cost-saving solutions.
During the now-running World Future Energy Summit, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) spoke to Faisal Noordeen, Managing Director of Ocean Rubber Factory (ORF) in Ras Al Khaimah.
“Considering the support from the government and the initiatives from the leaders of the UAE, industrial players will meet – if not exceed – the targets set for increasing renewables’ share in the energy mix,” said Noordeen, whose company yesterday announced the 3-month results of the UAE’s first solar thermal deployment applied to Industrial Process Heat.
“At Ocean Rubber Factory, solar thermal contributes 27 per cent of daily thermal energy use, which is a total renewable impact of 18-19 per cent. We are discussing an expansion of the TVP solar thermal plant to increase this mix, including solar-driven cooling. This will not only cut the thermal load but also the cooling load, and push our renewable mix towards Ocean Rubber Factory’s overall goal of 50 per cent.”
On the impact of digitalisation on the renewables industry, Noordeen said,”New technology allows for quick, easy reporting, troubleshooting, and precision control of any system. This is key for us at Ocean Rubber Factory, where energy is an important part of our process, and we need to act fast in case of problems, and allow for the optimisation of our systems.”
The Rubber Factory and TVP Solar announced during the Summit yesterday the 3-month results of the UAE’s first solar thermal deployment applied to Industrial Process Heat.
Commissioned at ORF’s Ras Al Khaimah factory in September 2018, the solar thermal plant supplies a 180 C directly to the rubber manufacturing machinery. Even in the winter months, the TVP solar plant proved an average daily efficiency of 37 per cent supplying 180 C, and producing an average 1.9 kWhth/m²/day.
WAM