Energy-efficient solutions for Arconic plant

Arconic Architectural Products contracted Fives, an industrial engineering group, to modernise its facilities due to increased energy costs and the carbon tax.

Arconic, a leading manufacturer of prepainted aluminium for the construction industry, decided to invest in environmentally friendly technologies to reduce the energy consumption of its Merxheim plant in France.

The modernisation project included replacing two old curing ovens and cooling sections to upgrade the existing coil coating line. ADEME, the French Agency for Ecological Transition, funded the project as part of the “France Relance” industrial decarbonisation plan.

“We had the ambitious goal of finding a sustainable solution that would allow the plant to reduce its emissions and energy consumption. Our target was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 67 per cent as part of the project. Thanks to Fives' expertise and advanced technology, the results exceeded our expectations,” says Antoine Higelé, Project Manager & Lead of Energy Management at Arconic Architectural Products SAS.

Outstanding results

As part of the modernisation project, the existing thermal equipment was replaced with new technology, including Stein ovens for primary and finish curing and new air cooler sections. A hot air injection system was also introduced to reduce energy consumption throughout the process. In addition, the robust design of the pre-assembled ovens facilitated handling inside the plant, which contributed to faster installation and less production downtime.

“We have broad experience in designing curing ovens for coil coating lines for various metals and applications. Our team was actively involved in the pre-engineering phase to identify challenges and find a suitable solution. We are very proud of the spectacular results in terms of energy efficiency and productivity,” says Gustavo Guzman, Chief Executive Officer of Fives Steel Spain, a Fives subsidiary specialising in thermal solutions.

The project's success has shown that steel and aluminium producers' commitment, combined with the right choice of energy-saving technologies, is taking the industry to a new level of decarbonisation.

Decarbonisation strategy

Arconic Group is committed to a global approach to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 per cent by 2030 compared to a 2021 baseline. This commitment is part of Arconic’s REAL initiative to make meaningful and responsible progress on key issues that benefit our planet, people and products.

Fives Group is committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 30 per cent from its activities by 2030, continue developing sustainable solutions for industries to improve their environmental performance and focus development on markets that contribute to low-carbon transition.