Fuel systems cut energy bills at Cray Valley

Cray Valley, a resin manufacturer with facilities around the world, has invested in three fuel systems from Maxsys to help cut energy bills generated by its boiler and heat generation plant.

Installed in spring 2008 at the company's UK plant in Stallingborough near Grimsby, early calculations indicate an annual saving on fuel consumption of up to 8 per cent, which will provide project payback in just 18 months.

Resins manufactured at the Stallingborough plant are supplied to a wide range of customers, including paint and varnish companies, producers of fibre-glass sanitary ware, as well as more specialist customers making products such as marble-effect fireplaces and other building products.

'We produce unsaturated polyester resins, gel coats and coating resins, which all require heating in the manufacturing process,' said the company's environmental manager Ian Martin.

'With the amount of fuel used, along with the escalating costs of energy, this recently became an obvious area for us to target as part of our proposed objectives within the remit of ISO 14000.' Setting a savings target of between 2 and 3 per cent, Ian Martin was interested in the significant potential of Maxsys Fuel Systems - fuel treatment systems that improve combustion, and hence lower consumption, by applying a finely calibrated magnetic field directly to the fuel.

There are no moving parts and the units are maintenance free.

The Stallingborough site is home to a pair of 2.2kW gas-fired boilers that drive separate heat generators.

These use heat thermal oil that is then pumped and circulated to the reactors used in the resin-making process.

There is also a 1.1kW Bradlee steam boiler on site.

'We fitted Maxsys Fuel Systems to our two gas-fired boilers as well as our steam-raising boiler,' said Martin.

'We agreed a 'proving' method with an independent auditor, ABB, and commenced a monitoring programme based on recording a small number of parameters several times a day over a period of three weeks before installation of the Fuel Systems.' This process was repeated after the units were fitted and the comparative results made more than encouraging reading.

'We've already verified an 8 per cent saving in fuel consumption on the steam boiler alone,' said Martin.

'As for an overall figure for all three systems combined - I'm being very conservative and estimate a 5% total saving.

'Based on our gas use for the period May to August 2008, I calculate payback for the project will be around 18 months.

'However, this could, in reality, be even better.' Additionally, Cray Valley hopes to use the systems to help achieve its Climate Change Levy targets, so the company could save even more if it receives the full CCL rebate.

The project fits well with Cray Valley's Sustainable Development principles.

Martin added: 'The installation of the three systems was completed in just two days during our Easter shutdown.

'This was achieved by pre-fabricating the pipe runs off-site beforehand.

'Now that the results are available, some of our sister sites in Europe are interested in adopting the same practice.'.

Back to top