AOC has been successful in reducing energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions at its Filago manufacturing operations. Through performing site audits, monitoring programs, and investigations by a dedicated project team, multiple energy saving opportunities were identified and improvement projects could be implemented.
AOC is producing a wide range of products in its Filago manufacturing plant (Bergamo area, Italy), serving customers around the world with quality formulations and material solutions.
Starting already in 2015, a project team was put in place to better outline the energy consumption of the Filago site, and to identify opportunities for reduction of energy and greenhouse gas emissions. Part of the exercise was the involvement of an external company for auditing the operations.
Energy savings
As a result of these investigations, several key improvements have been implemented including the replacement of existing light sources by energy-efficient LED lighting across the entire site, installation of pump inverters enabling to better regulate power in line with actual pump volume demand, and the application of better heat insulation of steam and diathermic oil distribution pipes.
In addition to the above, digital measurement devices were installed in all main electrical power units, in order to learn more about the electricity consumption patterns of the individual equipment. “We linked the measurement units to software enabling us to visualize and analyze the data in depth”, comments Renzo Filisetti, Technical Director of AOC Italy. “By tracking energy consumption in such a detailed way, we were able to identify many opportunities for improving our processes directly reducing energy consumption and plant emissions.”
Greener power generation
Another immediate result of the energy reduction project was the decision to invest in a brand new Co-generator unit for supplying both electrical and thermal power to the Filago plant. “This new Co-generator has a significantly higher efficiency compared to a conventional generator,” explains Umberto Colpani, Filago Site Manager. “This is helping us to reduce LNG consumption and makes power and steam available in the best way for our processes.”
“The team in Filago has done a great job and made a true impact on how the site manages its energy streams”, adds Stephan Dusault, Vice President Operations of AOC EMEA. “AOC continuously improves its operations for reducing our environmental footprint and for being prepared for a sustainable future.”
A video with project background can be seen through clicking on image below. Please turn on subtitles for English translation.
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