AC Boilers S.p.A. - Sofinter Group
With over 150 years experience in Steam Generation and Burner Technology and a track record of 1000 units exceeding 80,000 MW installed worldwide, AC BOILERS SpA, formerly Ansaldo Caldaie, is the largest Italian original technology Boiler Manufacturer, providing the full range of Steam Generator Technologies: Coal, oil, gas fired Utility Boilers, Heat Recovery Steam Generators for Combined Cycle Power Plants, Biomass and Waste-to-Energy Boilers, Low NOx firing systems. AC BOILERS provides also rehabilitations, fuel conversions and after-sale services for existing boilers. The Company has been part of the SOFINTER Group since 2001.
Company details
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- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Bioenergy
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
About us
Among our strength points:
- World leadership in the last 30 years for Oil Fired Supercritical Boilers
- Supply of Coal Fired Ultrasupercritical Boilers successfully operating
- Diverse range of HRSG products including horizontal, vertical, multi-pressure, post firing
Our Mission
- Growing our business globally, satisfying diversified market needs
- Constantly developing our technologies for HRSGs, Utility Boilers and Firing systems
- Providing innovative solutions to the market most challenging problems
- Win the confidence of our Customers by consistently exceeding their expectations
Our Values
- Integrity: in conducting our business, we adhere to the principles of honesty, transparency, reliability, loyalty and correctness
- Customer orientation: AC BOILERS is highly committed to understanding and meeting Customers’ needs
- Environmental safeguard and health and safety protection in the workplace
- Compliance with all laws and regulations in force in the Countries where AC BOILERS operates
The Group also shares, supports, applies and integrates within its sphere of influence, a whole range of universal principles in matters of human rights, labor standards, environment protection and anti-corruption fight, deriving from:
- the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
- the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Declaration;
- the Rio Declaration;
- the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
History
Established in 1853 as “Ansaldo”, in 2001 AC BOILERS SpA – formerly Ansaldo Caldaie, was acquired by SOFINTER, an Italian private Holding that gathers companies active in the power and water business sectors.
Major milestones in our history
1853 Establishment of Ansaldo Co.
1860 First marine boiler
1958 First 320 MW Boiler (Unit No. 1 of La Spezia Thermal Power Plant)
1962 First 660 MW coal fired supercritical Boiler (Unit No. 4 of La Spezia Thermal power Plant)
1980 First contract for coal fired boilers in India (Ramagundam, 3×210 MW)
1989 Contract award for the 20th supercritical boiler in Italy (Montalto di Castro Power Plant)
1992 First contract for Heat Recovery Steam Generators for Combined Cycle Power Plant (Enel – Trino Vercellese 4×120 MW GT)
2001 AC BOILERS is acquired by Sofinter and becomes an independent boiler maker
2004 Contract award for 3×660 MW Ultra Supercritical clean coal fired boilers for Torrevaldaliga Nord Power Plant
2005 Contract award for 3×2,000 t/h boilers for the Shuaibah IWPP project, phase III, in Saudi Arabia, among the largest crude oil fired units in the world
2005 AnsaldoCaldaie Boilers India Pvt. Ltd. is established in Chennai. The Company, 85% owned by AC BOILERS, designs, manufactures and supplies Utility Boilers and Heat Recovery Steam Generators in India.
2006 A milestone: HRSG # 100 awarded (250 MWe Horizontal – Rizziconi Combined Cycle Power Plant, Italy). The award follows a number of other successes for AC BOILERS in the supply 250 MW Class HRSGs installed in 400 MW Combined Cycle Power Plants such as Rosignano, Sparanise, Santa Barbara, Vado Ligure, Escatron.
2008 Contract award for 2×650 MW oil and gas fired boilers for Abu Qir Power Plant, Egypt. With this award, which follows the contract for 2×350 MW Units for El Tebbin Power Plant in 2007, AC BOILERS enlarges its track record in Egypt.
2009 Shuaibah (Saudi Arabia) and Torrevaldaliga North (Italy) units start successfully commercial operation
2012 With the contract awards for 2 HRSG’s for Bahna 400 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant and 1×650 MW oil/gas fired boiler for Suez Power Plant, AC BOILERS confirms its leadership on Egypt’s market.
2013 Contract for the Engineering and Supply of 2 HRSG’s for a 512 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant in Alaoji (Nigeria).
2014 AC Boilers wins a 330 Million Euro contract for the Supply of 3 Super Critical Boilers in Egypt, 650 MW each, designed to run on Oil & Gas. In the same year, AC Boilers wins a contract in the UAE for the supply of 3 HRSG’s downstream 260 MW Gas Turbines.
2015 AC Boilers wins 3 contracts: one for the supply of a 138 t/h Biomass Boiler in the Martinique island; the other two for the Engineering, Construction, Supply and Erection of 12 HRSG’s downstream 124 MW GT’s for the Al Shabab (8 units) and West Damietta (4 Units) Combined Cycles in Egypt.
Experience Overview
AC BOILERS SpA, formerly Ansaldo Caldaie, has over 150 years of experience in supply of steam generating plants. From its inception in 1853, the company has continued to lead the development of its technology, and to supply equipment to more than 50 Countries around the world.
Technology Milestones
Significant technology milestones in the last 50 years include the first supercritical coal fired boiler, at La Spezia in Italy, which operated for more than 30 years. This reference contributed to the continuing drive for increased efficiency of power plants, operating at increasingly higher steam temperatures and pressures, in parallel with the development of technology for available pressure part raw materials.
Today the most recently built plant of this type, 3 units with 660 MW output, operating at “ultra supercritical” steam conditions, is at Torrevaldaliga Nord, in the center of Italy. These units operate at more than 45% net plant efficiency, burning internationally traded coals, and have been in successful operation more than 3 years.
Fuel experience
Coal fired utility boilers represent a substantial part of our reference base, including more than 24,000 MW of boilers worldwide.
This experience platform, with boilers using a wide range of bituminous, sub-bituminous, lignite, and petcocke fuels, enables us to optimize boiler design to match high performance and/or lower cost targets.
Ash content, fouling characteristics and erosion characteristics of the fuel all combine to the technical parameters on which the boiler design is built.
References with high ash coals, and for lignite, are particularly appropriate for power plants in India, where there are indigenous coals of these characteristics.
As a result, India includes a number of significant reference plants such as Neyveli 2×210 MW which was installed at the start of the millennium.
In addition, this experience allowed us to establish our India subsidiary AnsaldoCaldaie Boilers India (ACBI), with headquarters in Chennai and factory in Trichy (Tamil Nadu Region, in the south of India).
Oil fired boilers
Moving to consider other fossil fuels, AC BOILERS is a leader in oil fired Supercritical boilers, with more than 50% of world market of installed units in last 30 years (data from “McCoy” report statistics).
Examples includes the boilers for Brindisi power plant in Italy which have successfully been operating for more than 20 years.
The experience with oil (heavy/crude oil), and oil/gas combinations, has allowed us to develop business in Egypt, with a growing reference platform in the last 10 years.
Combined with our local subsidiary, Ansaldo Caldaie Boilers Egypt (ACBE), in recent time we have successfully delivered 2000 MW of boilers and have been awarded further contracts for two Heat Recovery Steam Generators for CCGT power plant at Banha, and one 650 MW Utility Boiler contract at Suez.
Combined Cycle Power Plant
A similar history of references has applied for Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) technology.
Dating back to 1970 with our first horizontal HRSG for the Dow Chemical Stade 1 Combined Cycle Power Plant in Germany, we have supplied more than 100 units globally.
Our technology has expanded to include modern horizontal HRSG’s starting in 1992 with the unit for Sondel – Settimo Torinese Combined Cycle Power Plant in Italy, and vertical and once-through horizontal HRSG’s, matched with a range of Gas Turbines.
The contract awards in 2011 for the supply of HRSG’s matched with 150 MW and 250 MW GT’s confirm our position as one of the leader suppliers for the market.
Technology development leads to continuing experience
Fundamentally important to the continuing development of our technology is the Combustion and Environment Research Centre owned by AC BOILERS and located in Gioia del Colle, on the same site as our factory.
This factory has been at the forefront of validating our coal, oil and biomass co-firing burners.
Combined with modern 3D drawing and other engineering programs, we are able to predict highly efficient thermal performance of our steam generating units.
Experience enables through-life service support
The long history of supply and installation of steam generating equipment worldwide has provided a platform for our global services business. Our contribution to the ongoing operation and maintenance of plant has ranged from general provision of spares, to fuel conversions, rehabilitations, and emission controls, to match the changing customer needs throughout the life of the plant.
Quality and Certifications
The Company is highly committed to its customers’ success.
AC BOILERS SpA, formerly Ansaldo Caldaie, is well aware of Customers’ needs and expectations which are fulfilled thanks to its technology, supplying high quality products and services with the support of skilled and reactive engineering, management and administration teams.
The Company ensures that all activities are carried out in compliance with the safety and environmental provisions of the law. A process of continuous innovation and improvement is in place, allowing to obtain and maintain the following certifications:
- ISO 9001:2008for Quality Management System
- ISO 14001:2004for Environmental Management System
- ISO 3834-2for Welding Process Management
The Company holds also the following authorizations:
- ASME STAMP U, for Pressure Vessels – Shop manufacture and field assembly in accordance with ASME Code Sect. VIII Div. 1
- ASME STAMP S, for Power Boilers, Power Piping – Shop manufacture and field assembly, in accordance with ASME Code Sect. I, Sect. VIII div. 1 – ASME B31.1
- ASME STAMP R, for shop and field repairs and alteration in accordance with the National Board Inspection Code
AC BOILERS operates according to the provisions of the Quality Assurance Program and periodically verifies that all requirements and objectives are effectively understood and implemented by all employees.
Internal and external audits are regularly performed at the Company’s Headquarters and Factory, on Field Sites and at Suppliers’ shops with a view to increasing the competitive gap through continuous review of the operational modalities.
Research & Development
AC BOILERS SpA, formerly Ansaldo Caldaie, is highly committed to maintaining high levels of technology and quality for its products, fulfilling its mission of supplying highly efficient and high-performance plants with low emission levels.
For this reason, the Company dedicates extensive resources to research and development.
Environmental protection is of primary importance for AC BOILERS and the Company carries out combustion research and development activities through its subsidiary CCA – Centro Combustione Ambiente – located in Gioia del Colle (BA) on an area of 10,000 sq.m, equipped with experimental plants and laboratories for burner inspections and tests, chemical and electro-instrumental laboratories.
In particular CCA is equipped with a 50 MWth test boiler allowing full scale tests of utility boiler burners.