Valmet’s New Stationary Lime Cooler Improves Lime Kiln Energy Efficiency at Heinzel Pöls Pulp Mill in Austria

Valmet will deliver a new stationary lime cooler for Heinzel Pöls pulp mill in Austria. The new cooler significantly improves the lime kiln’s energy efficiency compared to the existing rotary cooler, reduces maintenance needs, and enables the capacity increase of the existing lime kiln.

“We are continuously investing in keeping our mill competitive and well-performing. Our main targets for this lime cooler investment are fuel savings brought by higher energy efficiency, achieving improved availability by reducing unplanned stops, and the possibility to increase the capacity of the lime kiln. We chose Valmet as our partner in this process based on their experience in similar projects and their technical competence,” says Siegfried Gruber, Head of Project Engineering, Heinzel Pöls.

The main benefits of moving from the old rotary cooler to the new stationary cooler include significantly higher energy efficiency that leads to fuel savings in the lime kiln, and the elimination of unplanned stops due to plugging in the cooler. The fuel saving also enables the mill to increase the production rate of the lime kiln.

The new stationary lime cooler improves efficiency at Heinzel Pöls pulp mill in Austria.

“These kinds of improvement projects bring several benefits to our customers. Fuel savings are reached through better heat recovery from the hot lime. Additionally, our stationary cooler is designed for very easy maintenance. We are especially happy about the close cooperation with Heinzel Pöls’ technical team. During the planning phase we worked closely to find the best technical solution to meet the customer’s needs,” says Claus Jensen-Holm, Director, White Liquor and Evaporation, Valmet.

The order was included in Valmet’s orders received for the first quarter of 2026. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The new cooler is scheduled to be taken into operation during the fourth quarter of 2027.

Improved energy efficiency with new stationary cooler

The new lime cooler is delivered with extensive scope covering engineering, main equipment delivery, disassembly of the old cooler, new cooler installation, commissioning and training. The Valmet Stationary Cooler has very high cooling efficiency of burned lime and excellent heat recuperation. The recovered heat is used to heat the incoming air for the burner.