Sector profile

World leader in the field of heat recovery steam generators

CMI specialises in the design and engineering of heat recovery steam generators installed at the exhaust side of gas turbines. These boilers produce steam for electricity generating plants (combined cycle power plants) or for industry (cogeneration). They are associated with gas turbines of all power ratings (from 25 to 250 MW).

The technology used by CMI has continuously matured to respond to a global market that demands ever more power and greater efficiency. Therefore, CMI has diversified its products and technologies to offer its customers a wide range of technical options: natural, forced or assisted circulation, vertical or horizontal configurations. Today, these solutions are being offered by the Group’s Belgian and US Business Units as well as by three licensees located in China, Korea and India. 
 
CMI’s permanent concern of boosting the competitiveness of its products has led to a sharp reduction of boiler component manufacturing in its own workshops. Therefore, these will be produced in emerging countries or in countries close to the end user, in accordance with the standards and quality requirements imposed by CMI.
 
Thanks to its long-standing experience in the various steam generation technologies, the CMI Group has developed a large business in the boiler maintenance and servicing sector. As a historic leader on the Belgian market, the Group has continued its expansion in France and the Netherlands during the last few years. In particular, CMI’s expertise encompasses overhauls, revamping and standards compliance upgrades of every type of boiler (fossil or nuclear fuels as well as heat recovery systems).

Prospects for the future

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions cause global warming and the release of nitrogen oxide (NO_X) are subject to increasing criticism.
CMI Energy’s response is particularly wellsuited to this situation. Its recovery boilers are a key equipment for the efficient production of energy by combined cycle and cogeneration power plants. At equivalent CO2 emission, a combined cycle power plant can produce 50% more electricity than a conventional thermal power plant. This advantage in energy efficiency will increase even further with the advent of coal gasification.

Pending the emergence of cleaner energy production technologies, managers of existing power plants are eager to maintain their installations in an environmentally acceptable operating condition. This entails strongly sustained servicing activities for CMI Energy whose experience in adapting power plants to increasingly
strict environmental standards is highly appreciated by electricity producers, particularly in Europe.

• History