How our steam solution ensured beet sugar production at Saint Louis Sucre

2019年4月10日

When the sugar producer Saint Louis Sucre had to deal with technical issues last November, Atlas Copco Rental came to the rescue. With a solution involving 4 fire tube boilers of 12 tons/hour each and pipework, they were able to meet the customer’s demands. The instant response by the experienced Atlas Copco Rental team enabled the company to quickly restart its production.

The production of beet sugar is a seasonal activity, relying on the yield of the beet harvest. The season usually starts in September and continues up to January or February. More than 1,000 farmers produce beets for delivery to the Etrépagny site (Normandy region, France) of Saint Louis Sucre: with 500 trucks a day unloading beets to the factory during the season to insure the production. During the harvest season, the Etrépagny sugar refinery experienced a technical problem. One of its two water tube boilers unexpectedly malfunctioned and needed repairing. Saint Louis Sucre needed a quick solution to guarantee their production.

Maximum flow of 45 tons/hour at 25 barg

Atlas Copco Rental immediately responded to Saint Louis Sucre's urgent request. The main challenge was to deliver a sufficient number of boilers to supply the 45 tons/hour steam capacity and to reach the maximum service pressure of 25barg to minimize the steam pipes diameter.

Fire tube boilers create steam network

Atlas Copco Rental proposed a set-up of 4 fire tube boilers of 12 tons/hour each supplying a service pressure of 25 barg. We also delivered prefabricated and insulated sections of steam- and gas pipes. Thanks to this solution and the excellent cooperation between the Saint Louis Sucre and the Atlas Copco Rental team, we were able to construct several hundred meters of steam and gas network within a few hours. This allowed us to guarantee the flow and pressure demand.

Operational after 5 days

Atlas Copco Rental was able to limit downtime to a minimum. A team of four experienced mechanics and a supervisor worked efficiently to successfully assemble the 4 fire-tube boilers in a short time span. Atlas Copco Rental has developed a high level of expertise in the field of steam boilers, partly thanks to last year’s acquisition of Location Thermique Service (LTS), a French steam boiler company.

Thanks to our quick reaction, we were able to get the plant operational again just 5 working days after the delivery of the equipment

Benjamin Dalla-Costa , Commercial Manager

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Great ideas accelerate innovation. At Atlas Copco we have been turning industrial ideas into business-critical benefits since 1873. By listening to our customers and knowing their needs, we deliver value and innovate with the future in mind. Atlas Copco is based in Stockholm, Sweden with customers in more than 180 countries and about 37 000 employees. Revenues of BSEK 95/ 9 BEUR in 2018. Learn more at www.atlascopcogroup.com.

Great ideas reinforce sustainable development. At Atlas Copco Specialty Rental we team up with our customers to set up state-of-the-art temporary air, power, flow, steam and nitrogen solutions. Our passionate experts have extended application as well as equipment knowledge. We understand our customers' needs and can provide a total solution for any industry, no matter if it is for emergencies or planned projects. We are a division of the Power Technique business area, headquartered in Boom, Belgium and offer specialty rental solutions under several brands around the globe.