After careful consideration in 2015, Grupo CASSA decided to upgrade the C-product station at their Ingenio Izalco sugar plant in El Salvador with BMA equipment.
For BMA, this is the first project in Central America with such a large scope: a vertical vacuum pan (VKT), two cooling crystallisers (OVC), F-series massecuite pumps, and a molasses-massecuite mingler (MMM).
The upgrade is expected to achieve several goals: to considerably reduce molasses purity and steam consumption in production; to obtain a consistent crystal content of the massecuite and a high-quality C-product; and to fully automate control of the continuous process throughout the campaign. The Izalco sugar factory is relying on technology from BMA to put these plans into action.
There is no doubt that this is a flagship project for BMA. If the Braunschweig manufacturer can meet the project targets for energy and cost efficiency, further upgrades of sugar factories and refineries in Central America could well be on the cards. Because in this part of the world, too, energy consumption is starting to play an increasingly important role.
Hans Cramer
BMA America
hans.cramer@bma-us.com