Cogeneration Systems for Food & Beverage Industry
CHP Systems for Process Heat and Power
The Food & Beverage industry in the U.S. is a cornerstone of our economy. World-class automated factories are producing massive quantities of the products we consume daily. With demand rising and competition increasing, the name of the game for the industry is efficiency. To be able to operate with tight product margins, these facilities must manufacture more for less. The call for efficiency isn’t just to lower cost; the industry has also been looked to by the market to reduce its carbon emissions.
The Role of Cogeneration Systems
Modular CHP systems can serve as baseload power generators for these facilities and supply thermal energy to the existing HVAC infrastructure. With a CHP system generating onsite power, the facility will purchase less electricity from the grid, lower its operations budget, and decrease its monthly utility expenses. Additionally, the recovered heat from the CHP will reduce the fuel consumption in inefficient boilers that are typically required to support the food processing, packaging, and cleaning operations. On top of reduced operating expenses, the facility will also see a reduction in carbon emissions by continually offsetting both utility electricity and onsite boiler fuel. CHP is an energy-efficient solution to lower costs and carbon emissions in the industry.
Projects
Alberta Pork, Alberta, Canada
Alberta Pork is a pork meat producer in Canada. It was necessary to reduce energy requirements and carbon offsets to ensure market leadership, requiring specific environmental steps. One of them was installing a TEDOM Cento 375 cogeneration unit, which can provide electricity and heat to the company. Using the CHP unit also reduces the company´s costs. Approximately 90% of all produced heat can be used during nine months of the year. This translates into a 35% reduction in overall energy costs or more than $230,000 per year. In just under three years, the system is expected to pay for itself.