Paper mill pulps energy bill
10 Oct 2007
Walsall, UK - Union Papertech's Northwest paper mill at Simpson Clough, Lancashire has reduced its energy costs by 7% following a project to cut its fuel usage, lower energy bills and fewer carbon emissions. The project involved collaboration with Maxsys, a supplier of a patented fuel treatment system that is designed to improve combustion, and ABB Engineering Services.
Steam generation is an intensive process deployed by Union Papertech to dry the paper as part of its manufacturign process, in which the product becomes 99% water by weight before drying. The mill at Simpson Clough houses a Maxecon twin-shell steam raising boiler fitted with two Saacke burners. The unit consumes 18 million kWh of gas per annum.
Union Papertech fitted Walsall-based Maxsys Fuel+units – one to each burner – in June 2007 and brought in ABB Engineering Services to undertake an independent evaluation of the performance of the systems pre- and post-installation using the established CUSUM statistical model.
ABB assessed the installed metering and monitoring on the boiler and produced a ‘test protocol’ that outlined the performance characteristics of the plant and detailed a list of variables that would be recorded in order for ABB to monitor the boiler accurately. The test protocol was agreed and signed by ABB, Union Papertech and Maxsys.
Analysis showed that gas consumption was 6.8% lower at the end of the post installation period for an identical amount of steam generated, equating to a substantial gas saving of 8229 ft“ per day (equal to 3 million ft“ a year) with a commensurate reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
Zero maintenance was a key requirement for Union Papertech’s chief engineer Steve Sherlock, who said: “Initially I was concerned that high levels of maintenance might offset the benefits offered by [the Fuel+] technology. However, there are no maintenance issues whatsoever.”
Based on the performance of the new systems on the Maxecon twin-shell boiler, Union Papertech has agreed to install two additional Fuel+ units on its through-air driers.
Union Papertech is part of the Purico Group, a 4,500-employee organisation.
