In January 2023, industries across the Delhi–NCR region faced a sudden operational roadblock — the complete ban on coal combustion. For a central tyre manufacturing plant dependent on coal-fired steam for curing, vulcanising, and thermal conditioning, this regulation halted their primary fuel source overnight. The plant’s long-standing, high-performing 5200 kg/hr of steam generated coal boiler was now unusable. Production could not stop, customer commitments could not be delayed, and steam still had to be generated reliably. The immediate solution seemed straightforward: Install a new PNG-fired boiler. But within months, the cost of switching to gas became unsustainable. Steamax proposed an innovative alternative: Retrofitting the existing coal boiler to run on biomass. To learn more about the case, read the blog below.

Steamax’s Breakthrough Insight: “Your Coal Boiler Is Still an Asset.”

During a detailed technical audit, Steamax engineers identified something most industries overlook:

The old coal-fired boiler — although banned from using coal — was structurally sound, pressure-ready, and fully capable of combustion with modifications. Instead of investing in a brand-new biomass boiler, Steamax proposed a more innovative alternative: Retrofitting the existing coal boiler to run on biomass. A simple idea with massive technical and financial impact.

How Steamax Engineered the Transformation

The retrofit was built on three engineering pillars:

1. Auto Fuel Feeding System

Manual feeding was replaced with a fully automated system to ensure:

• Consistent combustion
• Stable steam pressure
• Safer operation
• Reduced workforce

Automation alone significantly improved fuel efficiency and steam consistency.

2. High-Efficiency Bag Filters for Emission Compliance

Delhi–NCR has some of the most stringent particulate emission norms in India.

Steamax installed:

• Designed high-efficiency bag filters
• A compliant stack system
• Dust-handling mechanisms

This ensured smooth PCB approvals and continuous operation without emission violations.

3. Combustion & System Upgrades

To optimise biomass burning, Steamax executed:

• Grate modifications
• Secondary air injection
• Ash handling upgrades
• Insulation improvements
• Air–fuel ratio optimisation
• Flue gas path adjustments

The old coal boiler was reborn as a modern biomass combustion system.

The New Fuel Regime: Biomass at Just ₹12/kg

Post retrofit, the tyre plant shifted entirely to biomass:

• Biomass Consumption: 950 tons/month
• Biomass Price: ₹12/kg
• Monthly Biomass Fuel Cost: ₹1.14 crore
• Steam Output: Same — 5200 kg/hr

The impact was immediate and measurable.

Minimal CAPEX, Maximum ROI

The brilliance of Steamax’s solution lies in its simplicity:

• No new boiler purchase
• No major civil modifications
• Rapid installation timeline
• Leveraged existing infrastructure

This retrofit delivered one of the fastest ROI cycles seen in industrial boiler upgrades — with the investment recovered in just a few months.

 A New Benchmark in Industrial Energy Engineering

This tyre manufacturer’s transformation shows a powerful truth:

You don’t always need new equipment to achieve breakthrough savings. Sometimes, the best solution is already sitting in your plant — waiting to be reimagined.

Steamax turned an idle coal boiler into a high-performance biomass system, saving:

• ₹67 lakhs every month
• ₹8 crore every year

This case sets a new benchmark for energy engineering in India — proving that intelligent retrofits can outperform full replacements in both cost and performance.