Nuova Riwal Ceramica adopts new Cefla cogeneration plant

At the Saime factory in Maranello, Nuova Riwal Ceramiche recently started up a new high energy efficiency cogeneration system in place of the old plant that had been in operation since 1992.

Entirely designed, built and installed by Cefla Impianti, the new plant has a power of 4.4 MWe and is capable of independently producing the electrical energy needed to power the revamped production lines. The thermal energy is completely recovered by the spray dryers in the body preparation department.

“The old cogeneration plant dating back to the early 1990s was in need of complete renovation,” explained factory director Paolo Ferri. “Furthermore, the power it provided was no longer sufficient for the factory’s energy requirements. By partnering with the Cefla technicians, we were able to customise the supervision system so as to meet our diverse and very specific needs, including management of energy parameters, reporting and cost control.”

The new plant can be adapted more easily to varying electrical loads and above all features an advanced control and supervision system that allows cogeneration to be used at the point of maximum efficiency. This optimises electricity production at the level required for self-consumption in the factory and ensures maximum heat recovery by the spray dryers.

Due to its high energy efficiency (more than 95% of the energy introduced as natural gas), the plant is classified as a CAR (Italian acronym for “High-Efficiency Cogeneration”) system and thereby qualifies for energy efficiency certifications and tax incentives available to SEU (“Efficient System of Consumption”) systems.