-- An interview with David Breckinridge, president of LJUNGSTRÖM, a Division of ARVOS Group

In 2018, LJUNGSTRÖM grabbed attention from inside and outside of industry with its remarkable performance in such fields as air preheater and gas-gas heater. Under the influence of the Belt and Road Initiative,

LJUNGSTRÖM’s China office, ARVOS New Energy Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. signed a strategic cooperation agreement with POWERCHINA Turbo Technologies Co., Ltd. The two energy and environment enterprises will work more closely on such fields as energy and environmental protection and wind turbine technologies across the world in future development.

For this, the journalist interviewed David Breckinridge, President of LJUNGSTRÖM, and asked him several questions about the brand's next round of development.

Journalist: To LJUNGSTRÖM, what is the significance of this agreement between LJUNGSTRÖM and POWERCHINA?

David Breckinridge: POWERCHINA is a superlarge comprehensive construction group in the global energy and electricity, water resources and environment, infrastructure and real estate fields that provide integrated and overall whole industry chain solutions and services. It is also one of China's central enterprises with the highest internationalization index, and has a high-quality international team. To LJUNGSTRÖM, the cooperation with POWERCHINA is firstly an approval from industry and a proof of our competence within the industry. Secondly, it facilitates us to be fully adapted to Chinese market. This comprehensive cooperation can help LJUNGSTRÖM increase its share in Chinese market to meet Chinese customers' ever-growing demand for environmental protection.

Particularly, LJUNGSTRÖM our most representative AdvX system possesses unrivalled technical advantages and global experience in emission reduction and boiler efficiency improvement. POWERCHINA needs this kind of technical support and growth pole of marketing. Observing the principle of "openness and fairness, mutual complementation of advantages as well as mutual benefit and win-win result", we work with it for common development.

Journalist: After the signing of agreement, what will be the fields of your cooperation?

David Breckinridge: Firstly, we are excited to know that the two groups have a promising prospect of cooperation in such fields as boiler and wind turbine in Southeast Asia. Secondly, LJUNGSTRÖM has its own manufacturing centers in developed countries including the USA and Japan, and this enables us to exchange advantages with TLT Turbo, a wind turbine manufacturer affiliated to POWERCHINA. We will fully exert our R&D technologies and resource advantages to lead related industries to go forward.

It is also worth noting that the biggest advantage of LJUNGSTRÖM is in overseas market. Our market share is 90% in the USA, and more than that of similar products in Japan and Europe. Both of us will take a global perspective. Even though some particulars of our cooperation still need discussing, the general orientation of our comprehensive cooperation is clear.

Journalist: In China, energy conservation and emission reduction are now practiced mainly in two aspects, one of which is large-scale update of in-service units. Since POWERCHINA has many large-capacity in-service units, will your AdvX system help it save energy and increase efficiency?

David Breckinridge: Yes. In the business portfolio of LJUNGSTRÖM, China is one of the largest markets, and expected to be one of the fastest growing markets along with the increase of user base.We are fully aware of the status quo of domestic coal power units. As for units of 300,000 kilowatts, 600,000 kilowatts and 1 million kilowatts, we are sure that AdvX system can use super-efficiency air preheaters to recycle the maximum of waste heat and improve the performance of air quality control system (AQCS) to increase the efficiency of plant and boiler and reduce the emission of sulfur trioxide in order to deliver customers' expected results and make a contribution to environmental protection.

Journalist: China attaches great importance to the rise of energy efficiency because many parts of China are fighting air pollution. What are the energy efficiency features of LJUNGSTRÖM's thermal power generation products?

David Breckinridge： LJUNGSTRÖM Air Preheater can contribute a total boiler efficiency of 20%, and takes up a fraction in total standard plant investment. Our brand new air preheater can replace existing device so as to fast apply the latest technologies or transform a part of components into existing devices.We have a series of high-efficiency heat transfer surfaces and can supply new equipment or remodel existing air preheaters to improve the efficiency of obsolete technologies. Our air preheaters can provide adjustable sealing system setup to reduce emission and minimize the power of wind turbine. Compared with old products without new technologies, our heat-transfer surface is cleaner. The cleanness is helpful for decreasing pressure loss inside heat exchanger and power dissipation of wind turbine. When it comes to energy conservation and efficiency improvement, we are precise and seek to be the best.

Journalist: In the adverse international situation of environmental protection from the Copenhagen Accord and the Paris Agreement, how do you tackle opportunities and challenges of market?

David Breckinridge： To LJUNGSTRÖM, dynamic competition started in 1923 and has never halted in nearly 100 years thereafter. We continue expanding our market share in competition. After all, competition means providing better technologies. Nowadays, customers are very demanding about environmental protection. LJUNGSTRÖM has been seeking for lower cost and lesser emission under the same power dissipation. We have amassed plenty of experience in developed countries, which can be the paradigms for developing countries' efficiency increase and emission reduction.

For example, at the end of 2017, China began to impose express terms on the emission of steel factories and shut down suboptimal ones immediately. As the world's first brand to develop, design and manufacture gas-gas heaters for steel industry, we have tens of years of successful experience. Speaking of technology and experience, we can say with pride that we have what other companies do not have and we are better at what other companies also have.

With 9 performance centers and 5 factories in the world's major markets and R&D centers in the USA and Japan, we have powerful global influence, as well as incomparable scope, scale and capability. Every performance center has a complete scope of resources for offering new construction of air preheater and gas-gas heater and after-sale services. As the leader of industry market, we enjoy competition and challenge.

Journalist: It has been more than 3 months since our last interview with you. What is the condition of the LJUNGSTRÖM factory in Nantong? Any new  progress?

David Breckinridge: In past three months, we signed many orders of air preheaters and gas-gas heaters with power plants and steel works, and had impressive performance in after-sale service market. Now the factory is operating at full capacity.

Journalist: What is your vision about the cooperation with POWERCHINA?

David Breckinridge: POWERCHINA is a giant in Chinese energy industry and LJUNGSTRÖM has the world's most advanced technologies. Standing on the shoulders of a giant, LJUNGSTRÖM will go farther. We expect to use our technologies to reach the pinnacle of emission reduction and make a contribution to Chinese power industry and Chinese people.