Repsol YPF
Ruta
Propane gas solutions for the ceramics sector
Of the processes described in the previous section, propane gas can be used as the energy source for any of the steps involving heating, specifically in these three steps: atomisation, baking, and drying.
Energy sources that are or were competition for propane gas in the ceramics sector are:
- Gas oil
- Electricity
- Natural gas
- Fuel oil
- Coal and other solid fuels
- Residual heat produced during low temperature processes (drying, pre-heating, etc.)
Some of these energy sources cannot be used for certain ceramic processes. For example, fuel oil and solid fuels are used almost exclusively for producing red ceramic construction materials (bricks, tiles, brick tack arches, etc.). These are products in which each individual piece is not very valuable. Here, reducing expenses is so important that they can use practically “any cheap product that can be burnt.”
Therefore, electricity and gas oil can be considered propane gas’s direct competition. Natural gas, because it is currently cheaper, supersedes propane gas in this sector (in locations where it is economically feasible to make natural gas available). In zones where natural gas is available, propane gas is generally only used in the ceramics industry for medium or high “value added” products, with consumption of less than 100 metric tons/ year. In this context, the initial investment costs of connecting to natural gas are high.
With red ceramic production, propane gas’s competition is gas oil. Electricity is usually used in small handicraft ceramic workshops with low consumption.
