Econotherm (Bridgend, U.K.; www.econotherm.co.uk) announced that it has been awarded a contract to supply a heat pipe-based fired heater air-preheater to a major refiner in Thailand. The 6.6 MW unit will be delivered in 2027 and the proprietary heat pipe components will be manufactured in Econotherm’s facility in Bridgend, Wales. The engineering scope is already underway.
This latest project represents Econotherm’s entry into the Asian refining market and marks its 8th commercial reference for refinery service. This announcement follows the 2025 award of 3 heat pipe air-preheaters to Econotherm for use in a refinery in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Heat pipe heat exchangers have been increasingly recognized by refiners as a common-sense approach towards maximizing energy recovery while minimizing operational risks and downtime. The unique and inherent design redundancies enable heat pipe heat exchangers to avoid single point failures that plague traditional tubular and finned exchanger types, while mitigating acid gas condensation risks.
“In a time where the world is facing extreme energy pricing volatility, the best thing a refiner can do is invest in itself through energy reduction initiatives,” said Warren Chung, Global Product Director of Econotherm. “Proper technology selection helps to ensure that the refiner can realize the heat recovery benefits for many years without concern.”