Commercial Case Study
Company name: O’Brien Cement
Project actions: Installation of a 4 MW burner with future capacity. Raw materials process optimization by redesigning its 3 stages into one single process.
Finance source: Internal
Additional funding: SEAI BEC 2016 programme
Grant amount: €96,300
% Funding: 20%
Total project cost: €481,500
25-year savings: €3,044,445
Simple payback time: 3.16 years
With a large oil and fleet demand for manufacturing bulk GGBS (cement) at their plant in Kilkenny, O’Brien Cement management is concerned about promoting a sustainable energy practice while meeting its daily business objectives. However, after successfully installing their new burner and optimizing their manufacturing process the benefits and cost savings were clear.
The 3 Counties Energy Agency (3cea), through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s Better Energy Communities programme, is helping by administering state-wide funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
| Annual Energy (kWh) | Annual Value (€) | Annual CO2 (tonnes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imports Before project | 4,777,992 kWh | €256,325.20 | 1,230 tonnes |
| Imports After project | 2,582,038 kWh | €134,547.40 | 664 tonnes |
| Savings | 2,195,954 kWh | €121,777.80 | 566 tonnes |
Benefits
- Thanks to the heating and process design upgrade completed through the BEC 2016 programme, O’Brien Cement has saved money and reduced their carbon footprint.
- The raw material treatment process has been redesigned. Previously a three stage raw material treatment process, the redesign has converted this to a single stage process, lowering energy demand as the process has decreased energy losses.
- O’Brien Cement has been upgraded to a high efficiency, 4 MW burner with future capacity. This device guarantees a more efficient fuel consumption when generating the required heating load for their cement process.
