OPTIMIZATION OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN BOILER OPERATIONS FOR SODIUM BICARBONATE PRODUCTION

Soda is a key raw material widely used in various industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, detergents, and glass production. At the "Sisecam Soda Lukavac" plant, soda is produced using the Solvay process, which relies on an aqueous solution of sodium chloride (NaCl) and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). Due to the limited availability of global soda sources, efforts are being made to increase production capacity. However, higher production requires greater amounts of industrial water, resulting in increased consumption of fresh water from the Modrac reservoir. To reduce this consumption and minimize environmental impact, this study investigates the reuse of the waste condensate stream from the slaking drums as the aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide (lime milk) through the installation of a barometric condenser operating on the principle of direct contact between the cooling medium and steam. A barometric condenser was proposed for recovering approximately 8339.3 kg/h of steam, which would reduce water consumption by 7.58% and thermal energy losses by 29.3 %, with a payback period of less than six years. Reusing this waste condensate stream is expected to achieve significant operational, ecological, and economic improvements. KEYWORDS:soda production, waste stream, condensate, water, reuse