Babcock & Wilcox visits HPB in Brazil

Last week, HPB welcomed Chris Jones and Karl Heil, Global Licensing Director and Advisory Engineer of the Technology Group at Babcock & Wilcox, respectively.

The visit was part of a planned engagement focused on strengthening the relationship between the companies, developing new technological implementations, and aligning market expectations.

Chris highlighted that during the week, general discussions and technical topics were addressed regarding B&W licensed biomass boilers, including Water-Cooled Vibrating Grate (WCVG) and Bubbling Fluidized Bed (BFB) technologies.

The B&W representatives also visited boiler operations in the final stages of construction, supplied to COFCO, followed by a visit to the world’s largest biomass bubbling fluidized bed boiler at the São Martinho plant.

This visit took place just ahead of 2025, when the HPB–B&W partnership will celebrate 20 years. Reflecting on this period, Chris highlights that HPB successfully applied BFB technology for the use of sugarcane bagasse, a critical resource for the Brazilian market.

"The company has evolved this application, successfully achieving world records, and I know they are eager to continue advancing. They have also successfully applied our technology in broader biomass applications, for pulp & paper and cereal ethanol (bioethanol) clients," Jones points out.

Regarding B&W’s future, Jones emphasizes the focus on innovation in ClimateBright™ decarbonization technologies and looks forward to working closely with HPB to explore opportunities to implement some of these technologies in the Brazilian and Latin American markets.