Gruppo AB, Turboden Form Partnership to Integrate Energy Efficiency in Cogeneration Plants

Turboden and Gruppo AB entered a strategic commercial partnership to develop and promote energy efficiency solutions in the Italian market, including the supply of AB cogeneration plants with Turboden’s mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) systems to new customers. Additionally, the agreement includes the implementation of energy efficiency upgrades on existing industrial plants. AB will combine its cogeneration expertise with Turboden’s turbomachinery expertise to integrate thermal efficiency.

The solution further validates the heat generated by cogeneration engines, both in the form of exhaust gases and cooling water, by converting it into steam suitable for industrial processes. Integrating Turboden’s MVR system allows steam production to exceed 5 tons per hour within a single cogeneration unit, depending on plant configuration. MVR systems increase the quantity of steam produced and improve operating conditions, enabling pressures above 10 bar and meeting higher thermal demands than traditional cogeneration systems alone.

“The agreement with AB stems from a shared vision, combining a presence in the local community with a commitment to decarbonization and energy efficiency,” said Paolo Bertuzzi, CEO & Managing Director of Turboden. “The synergy between cogeneration and vapor recompression systems enables us to develop and offer integrated solutions for heat electrification, increasing the availability of useful thermal energy and sustainably optimizing the energy requirements—both electrical and thermal—of industrial customers.”

The solutions developed may be applied to existing plants through retrofit works aimed at increasing efficiency and to new plants designed with an integrated approach from the initial phase. This strategy increases overall efficiency and enhances the availability of steam for industrial processes—a critical factor in energy-intensive sectors. The collaboration’s key benefits include:

• A significant reduction in CO₂ emissions
• Increased energy efficiency through heat recovery
• Lower OPEX
• Better alignment with sustainability targets and decarbonization regulations

Specifically, given that steam generated via MVR system replaces steam produced by gas-fired boilers, more than 5,000 tons of CO₂ per year can be avoided at each plant, depending on operating conditions.

“This collaboration with Turboden represents a further step in the evolution of our solutions, integrating complementary technologies to improve the energy efficiency of industrial cogeneration plants and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Enrico Calzavacca, Deputy General Manager and Chief Technology Innovation Officer at AB. “The synergy between two Brescia-based companies with an international presence demonstrates how it is possible to develop practical technologies for decarbonization, minimizing primary energy consumption and responding to a growing demand for sustainable solutions, particularly in energy-intensive sectors where reducing fossil gas consumption is challenging.”

AB maintains a broad installed base in the industrial and agricultural sectors and identified the need to further improve the energy performance of its plants by optimizing heat usage. For this endeavor, Turboden contributed its expertise in adapting and integrating MVR technologies to provide flexible, modular, and easily replicable solutions.

ORC Supply

Last week, Turboden America signed a three-year framework agreement with Fervo Energy to supply Organic Rankine Cycle units for up to 35 GeoBlocks totaling 1,750 MW of carbon-free, dispatchable power capacity. The multi-year arrangement will establish delivery timelines that are expected to enable faster project execution and support supply chain resilience as Fervo upscales.