Infrastructural Growth By Strengthening Its Local Presence.
Iron & Steel Review had the opportunity to interview Pablo Izuzquiza Serrano, Director Comercial, Kalfrisa SA Izuzquiza spoke about Kalfrisa’s sustainable technology that has been at the core of their business operations and how they plan to expand across India and Southeast Asia to serve the local markets that are all set to grow exponentially over the next few years.
Sustainability in the steel industry is a soaring issue. How is Kalfrisa dealing with it?
Kalfrisa is a company with a history of more than 60 years. From the very beginning, its motto has been to conserve ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT. Over the years, this has translated into business operations, and today, these two are the two main divisions of Kalfrisa.
The steel industry is highly energy-intensive and involves several processes that generate environmentally harmful Volatile Organic compounds (VOCs). KALFRISA’s technology reduces this energy consumption substantially- no matter what the fuel type is, and eliminates VOCs that cause significant damage to the environment.
What measures is Kalfrisa taking to include and boost sustainability in its internal operations?
Companies must do everything they can to minimize their ecological footprint. The fight against climate change begins with environmental awareness and concern for the ecological future of our country and our planet.
Kalfrisa aims to cover 70% of its electricity consumption with its own renewable energy, thereby contributing to the global green energy mission.
Kalfrisa has installed photovoltaic modules in its 2 production plants, located in Spain, which extend over an area of 450 square meters with an installed power of 75 kW, with which the centre can produce 132,000 kW of photovoltaic energy In addition to this direct use of electrical energy, all losses due to electrical transportation from large production centres and individual self- transformation equipment are avoided, so the environmental benefit is much greater.
Consumption and production are carried out within the daylight periods, and this energy is used both for production steps inside the factory and for air conditioning, which already has aerothermal systems and a low-temperature distribution system.
There is no doubt that renewable energy has come to stay. And, among clean energies, the solar one stands out. In the last decade, photovoltaic panels have become part of the urban furniture of our cities. Private households, as well as the business sector, opt for the use of this energy In addition, we are currently in the process of implementing the ISO 14001 standard, a certification that helps us to improve waste management, to optimize the efficiency of industrial equipment and solar panels and to use energy and material resources responsibly.
Kalfrisa has been a known brand in the Indian market even before it entered officially in 2020. This year, it is setting up a new facility in India, and the operations will start soon. Can you give us some details about the new venture, and what are you expecting from it?
Certainly, the Indian market is not unknown for Kalfrisa. Kalfrisa Heat Exchangers have been installed in India since the early 2000’s in collaboration with mainly reheating furnace leading brands.
Nowadays, this technology is becoming critical for steel business producers. New investments are constantly being made, and what we want to achieve through these investments is- to stay closer to these producers to listen carefully to what their needs are, to give them not only a heat exchanger but to participate in a key solution for their energy saving and environmental upgrade in their process.
India’s Union Budget 2023 encourages urban planning that will add thrust to India’s proliferating real estate industry. In all likelihood, the steel demand is set to rise. How do you think Kalfrisa can ride this wave?
It is not only real estate, but all industries are projected to grow at the same pace in India in the next few decades- transport, automotive, and infrastructure…..This is the main reason why Kalfrisa is going to have a local presence, to stay inside the market and to adapt our company to the rhythm that our customers demand with a fast and close answer. It is a major challenge, and Kalfrisa is ready for it.
As a leading heat exchange system manufacturer, what solutions does Kalfrisa want to offer to the Indian secondary producers and mini steel plants in the country?
A few years ago, Heat Recovery Units were changed when they were broken after 10 or 15 years Now it is MANDATORY to check if each piece of equipment is giving the maximum performance because, during investment return times spanning a few months, the update is required.
Not only can you be wasting money on fuel, but it is everyone’s job to reduce the environmental impact of an industry as critical and necessary as steel.
We are into the third month of 2023. What is your vision for this year? What is Kalfrisa hoping to achieve this year?
The action plan for KALFRISA’s entry into India is for the medium and long term We are a company with a long history, and our projects are implemented to continue with this policy The steel market is going to be multiplied by the 2050 plan, and it is important that the local industry has different options to improve efficiency and sustainability.
Under your able leadership, Kalfrisa has achieved major milestones. What is your outlook for the Southeast Asian region?
The countries of Southeast Asia are one of the most distant regions from our European headquarters. This does not mean that we will not serve this market in the near future, where we already have important references. In fact, one of our biggest projects in 2022 has been the manufacture of a preheater for a sulfuric acid plant in Indonesia, with a 32 MW burner and a total length of 35 meters in height.
India is definitely going to be an important epicentre for our expansion in these Asian countries. We aim to cater to them with our presence in the local market through our newly established manufacturing units.
So, have no doubt- KALFRISA will be there, making a difference in the environment and people’s lives through sustainable technology.