The final days of December are the perfect time to review 2014 sustainability goals and establish new goals for 2015. Whether your company’s goals are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase energy efficiency, there are several concrete steps that you can take to achieve these goals in 2015.
Compressed air is used as an energy source or as an integral part of the production process in the majority of industries worldwide. Of the total energy consumed for global production, about 10 percent results from the use of compressed air systems. Thus, increasing the energy efficiency of compressed air systems is a vital strategy for successful global sustainability initiatives.
Let’s take a look at how Cargill Turkey’s Orhangazi factory is exceeding its environmental sustainability targets by investing in smart energy efficiency projects surrounding its compressed air system.
Establish Environmental Sustainability Targets
Since its establishment and through investments in energy efficiency projects, Cargill Turkey’s Orhangazi factory has decreased its total electricity usage by 6,000 megawatt hours. Its environmental sustainability targets include increasing energy and water efficiency by five percent globally and increasing renewable energy use by 12.5 percent by 2015.
Invest in Variable Speed Drive Technology
One of the factory’s energy efficiency projects includes replacing fixed-speed compressors with Atlas Copco ZT 90 VSD FF variable speed drive oil-free air compressors. Because Atlas Copco oil-free screw compressors match speed and compressed air output flow with production targets, the compressors are highly energy efficient. If you would like to learn more about the ZT series of rotary screw compressors, contact us or download our Atlas Copco ZR-ZT 55-90 VSD FF brochure.
Reap the Rewards of Increased Sustainability, Reliability and Efficiency
Variable speed drive technology is just one aspect of the ZT series that convinced the factory to invest in the new compressors. Other benefits include its ability to recover heat from the production cycle and reuse it for processes that require hot water. By using energy recovered from heat, manufacturers can save typically 95 percent (with potential savings up to 100 percent) of the original electrical input energy used to power the air compressor. Also, Atlas Copco oil-free compressors do not require cooling water so the factory no longer needed to operate a pump to provide cooling water to the compressors resulting in additional energy savings.
Exceed Your Renewable Energy Goals in 2015
By prioritizing energy efficiency projects and choosing equipment that can do more work with less energy, the company exceeded its renewable energy target ahead of schedule.
If you’d like to partner with Atlas Copco to help meet your renewable energy goals, contact us by filling out our Request a Quote form and an Atlas Copco representative will be in touch with your shortly.
