Replacement wave in industry: include the cables

Many boilers and furnaces in Dutch industry will reach the end of their service life in the next ten years. This is stated in the industry strategy *Bridging to make sustainable* (*Overbruggen om te verduurzamen*) by Stichting Cluster 6, published on 12 October. According to the report, the choice companies make at that replacement determines how much they emit in 2040. This is reported by Duurzaam Ondernemen.

What Cluster 6 says

Cluster 6 is the collective name for industry outside the five major industrial clusters: around 450 companies from ten sectors, together accounting for some 210,000 FTE and €125 billion in turnover. The research is based on data and interviews at 93 production sites.

The main points from the report, according to Duurzaam Ondernemen:

• Long service life: production installations can last up to forty years. What is replaced now will therefore be there for a long time.
• More power needed: the participating companies need about three times as much connection capacity as now.
• The grid is ready later: at most sites, a heavier grid connection will, according to current planning, only become available between 2030 and 2035. For many companies that is too late.
• Temporary solution: Cluster 6 argues for a transition bridge, with temporary local generation such as solar, wind, storage, gas turbines, combined heat and power or fuel cells.

"At the moment the planning of the electricity grid sets the pace of industry", says cluster director Barbara Verwayen. The Dutch Association for Sustainable Energy (NVDE) responded that companies that have to invest now must be able to choose straight away the route that makes sense in the long term, such as electrification.

A replacement is more than the boiler or furnace

In a replacement wave, attention goes to the large installation: which boiler or furnace, gas or electric, and when there is enough grid capacity. Those are the decisions that determine emissions.

But such a replacement also means a shutdown, often a long and carefully planned one. Around a furnace or boiler there is usually more moving equipment: doors, loading and unloading systems, conveyor systems and manipulators. Cables and hoses run there through cable carriers, often for years already in heat, dust and continuous operation.

Such a shutdown is a good moment to include those parts. That prevents a new installation from coming to a standstill shortly after commissioning because of a worn carrier or a cable break in a part that was not touched.

What to look out for when an installation changes

If an installation goes from gas to electric, or a different design is chosen, what runs through the moving parts can also change. A few questions to ask beforehand:

• Do the new cables and hoses fit in the existing cable carrier? Different power cables, extra sensors or modified cooling can change the fill level and the weight. With the fill level calculator you can quickly see whether there is still room.
• Is the bending radius still right? A thicker or stiffer cable sometimes requires a larger radius than the carrier currently installed.
• What about the heat? Close to furnaces, heat protection can protect cables and hoses against radiant heat. The Heat guide helps you choose the suitable material.
• What is the condition of the existing carriers? A carrier that has been running for a long time is best inspected before you decide what stays and what is replaced.

If you are unsure about a new layout, we will check the application free of charge.

Inspect before the shutdown

Wisman Techniek inspects, overhauls and replaces cable carriers in heavy and process industry, including other brands. For a planned shutdown we prefer to work in this order:

1. (01)Inspect: well before the shutdown we document the condition of each carrier, with photos and advice.
2. (02)Assess: refurbish where possible, replace where necessary.
3. (03)Prepare: we set out carriers, parts and cables in Ruurlo, so everything is there when the shutdown begins.
4. (04)Carry out: within the shutdown that is already planned.

Do you already know that a carrier needs replacing, but not which type fits? With the Replacement guide you can find a suitable series from our range. You can read more about the trade-off in repair or replace a cable carrier.

ServiceMaintenance & inspectionPeriodic inspection with RupsInspect, parts from stock and quick repair.View the service

The choice for the long term

Cluster 6 shows that the next ten years will determine what industry looks like in 2040. Those choices are about energy and grid capacity. But an installation that has to last forty more years only runs well if the parts around it are in order too. So include the cable carriers and cables in the planning of the shutdown.