Energy saving conversion

Published:  10 May, 2007

G.P Burners, part of the Wellman Group, has been instrumental in helping Syngenta - a leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through research and technology - in achieving a 26% reduction in energy consumption by its boiler plant. PWE reports.

Over the past couple of years Syngenta's International Research Centre at Jealott"s Hill has embarked on an energy efficiency drive to counteract the significant rise in fuel prices that we have all experienced. The site now comprises of over 70,000m˛ of research buildings including glasshouses, laboratories and offices.

In 2004 the site used 40 million kWh of gas and 32 million kWh of electricity. As a direct result of a targeted approach to managing the way energy is consumed on the site these consumptions have been reduced to 29 million kWh and 24 million kWh respectively.

The energy management initiative reviewed and analysed the operation of the building services efficiency as well as engaging with end users to enlist their help to contribute to the initiative. Operational running times of services such as ventilation and heating systems were aligned to specific sequential business needs and more elaborate demand led control strategies were designed and implemented via the Building Management System (BMS). The energy saving approach has been one of a team effort with members of the on site maintenance team working with contractors on a long term basis to achieve the results.

The site has a number of discrete boiler houses. A significant contract was completed in 2006 to modify the burner hardware and controls on the Wellman Robey boilers to enable full modulation of the burner rather than the low and high fire as fitted. The design and installation work of the burner conversion was completed by GP Burners in Swindon following an on site review with the maintenance team. Using the BMS to provide an enable command and an analogue output signal the burners are now able to modulate to match the heat demand of the system. The boilers, from Wellman’s Ygnis range, which were modified, ranged in size from 250 kW to 2400 kW and in all 12 Wellman Robey boilers fitted with G.P burners (at six different locations) have been converted to modular firing and are fully efficiency optimised.

Other energy saving successes have included using inverters to control pumps, taking control of lighting during occupancy and challenging the running of large energy consuming plant such as air compressors.

The overall picture is that the site energy consumption has been reduced by 26% over 27 months with many more initiatives planned to ensure that this figure is improved.

Jim Spearing, managing director for G.P Burners, Swindon, states: "Our ability to successfully convert the burners at Syngenta from low/high fire to fully modulating has helped our client to achieve the critical degree of control they require.

The 10:1 turndown ratio we now achieve with our combustion system also yields a low Nox of 70mg/per kWh…The conversion of the burners for Syngenta is a good example of what can be achieved by companies wishing to reduce their impact on the environment and make significant savings on their energy demands.”

For further information please visit: www.wellman-robey.com 

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