Fortum signs project with Hindalco to reduce air emissions at Mahan aluminium smelter

Finnish clean energy company Fortum announced that it has signed its first commercial project with Hindalco to reduce air emissions at aluminium smelter in Mahan, Madhya Pradesh. The project is expected to be completed in mid-February 2020.

Fortum will cut nitrogen oxide (NOx) through combustion modification on one of the 150-MW boilers located at the smelter. This will enable the power plant to comply with the strict restrictions on NOx emissions to 290 mg/Nm3 from the unit’s current levels.

Sanjay Aggarwal, Managing Director, Fortum India said: “We are extremely proud of this association with Hindalco Industries Limited, as it reflects Fortum’s strong commitment to the Indian market. We are hopeful that this partnership will be a longstanding one and that we can support other power producers to combat air emissions in the country.”

“Fortum has patented technology for reducing NOx levels below 300 mg/Nm3 by using only primary combustion modification on the boiler,” Fortum said through its press release.

“Implementing advanced NOx reduction technology at the primary source of emissions, i.e. at the boiler combustion, not only reduces emissions, it also enhances plant performance through optimization of the boiler operations. Moreover, with lower operating and maintenance costs compared to any other secondary NOx reduction methods, the overall life-cycle costs are kept at a minimum,” commented Juha Suomi, Area Director, Asia, Fortum eNext.

The Indian government, among other things, defined new NOx emission levels for thermal power plants to be achieved by 2022.