Ingenio Pichichí

In the central region of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, lies Ingenio Pichichí, founded in April 1941. Over eight decades, the company has established itself in the sugar sector as one of the mills with the greatest history, tradition, and recognition in the country.

Its mission is to produce and market high-quality sugarcane-derived products for both national and international customers, creating value for its shareholders, supporting its employees, and contributing to the community through environmental care.

Seeking to achieve operational excellence and to uphold its commitment to environmental responsibility and financial profitability, Ingenio Pichichí acquired an HPB/B&W boiler with a production capacity of 100,000 kg/h of superheated steam at 545 ºC under a pressure of 106 bar.

The equipment features Bubbling Fluidized Bed (BFB) technology, a system characterized by its ability to operate with different types of fuels while maintaining combustion efficiency above 99.5%.

For controlling the temperature of the Bubbling Bed, there is no need for heat exchange surfaces immersed in the bed; instead, control is achieved through combustion air management and gas recirculation.

In addition, the boiler is equipped with an Electrostatic Precipitator for particulate emission control. This solution stands out for its high efficiency and low operating cost, reducing environmental impact by achieving particulate emission levels below 50 mg/Nm³.

Once completed, this will be one of the most efficient biomass-fired power plants in the world, with high pressure, a regenerative cycle with feedwater at 240 °C, and the integration of HPB/B&W technologies.