Steam-trap service cuts Heinz factory's emissions

Heinz will reduce the energy consumed by its Wigan factory by four per cent over the next three years, as a result of signing up for a steam-trap management contract with Spirax Sarco.

The decision to opt for the new contract followed great success with a previous, one-off steam trap survey that saved enough energy and treated water to pay for itself in less than nine months.

The Heinz factory in Wigan is a 55-acre site that produces canned soups, baked beans, pasta and puddings for the UK and European markets.

Its on-site energy centre generates up to 140 tonnes of steam per hour to keep the canning lines running.

Under the new deal, Spirax Sarco engineers will survey the site every six months, highlighting any traps that need maintenance.

Spirax Sarco specialists will spend around 10 days on site each year, checking, tagging and recording the condition of each steam trap.

Barry Aspey, utilities manager for Heinz, said: 'When Spirax Sarco carried out the original survey it put in a conservative estimate of savings and we ended up saving much more.

'That helped us decide to opt for the three-year contract.

'If the new savings estimates are correct, the contract offers excellent value for money and should help us reduce our carbon emissions by 200 tonnes a year.

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