Efficient and environmentally-friendly energy solution for manufacturer

Aggreko was asked to find an efficient and environmentally-friendly energy solution for a global leader in the rigid plastic packaging and recycling industries.

Due to concerns about secure local power supply, the customer was primarily powering its site’s plastic recycling operations via diesel generator solutions.

Their operations involved grinding up and chipping plastic into shreds, before cleaning and processing it. These processes required a pronounced and constant demand for power. With the lack of a new diesel supplier and faced with mounting energy bills and a high carbon footprint, the customer was keen to explore other energy solutions.

Aggreko provided a full turnkey combined heat and power (CHP) solution, consisting of two 1.1MW gas generators feeding into a single but twin pass heat recovery steam boiler. This installation allowed heat recovery from two engines into one boiler, meaning the customer could recover generated heat or steam that might have otherwise been wasted.

Because the company was completely changing its power supply from diesel to gas, we also carried out extensive infrastructure work. Included in this was the installation of a new gas main to ensure consistent supply, providing new cabling and cable trays, and building a whole new switchboard to feed into.

By replacing the site’s diesel generators with a gas-powered CHP system, Aggreko was able to help the customer markedly reduce its carbon footprint and their energy bills.

Furthermore, the steam recovered through the CHP system was implemented into their plastic recycling processes. Specifically, the steam is now used to more effectively clean the chipped and shredded plastic. Not only does this provide a much more thorough clean than the washing process previously used, it does so at a fraction of the previous energy costs.