Thien Thanh company is a private enterprise (Phung Xa, My Duc, Ha Noi) with the main products of textile, dye and exported towel; annual energy cost is over VND 4 billion. Engaging in energy audit program, this business has found out eight solutions to use energy and coal effectively.

Specifically, with eight proposed measures, it has been estimated that Thien Thanh private company could save VND 530 million annually by reducing the consumption of about 62,000 kwh of electricity and 165 tons of coal. Thus, the saving potential is about 140 tons of oil equivalent, the payback period is just over a year.

According to energy audit group, initial proposed solutions for the company just require low or medium investment capital. So, with proper long-term strategy along with the determination of investment, this business can successfull implement all measures and bring about economic benefits as expected.

Thien Thanh company mainly consumes coal and electricity. In particular, coal is used to supply the boiler with the amount of 1.6 million tons equivalent to more than VND 3.7 billion each year. Electricity consumption of the company is about 317 thousand kWh per year, equivalent to 160Kwh per kg of product. Power consumption is concentrated in the areas of washing machine system, hydroextractor and boiler.

Through observation, the lighting system of the company is already using energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs, but due to the unreasonable arrangement, the light intensity is not guaranteed. To save more energy, according to the audit team, the company should install translucent corrugated iron sheets to take advantage of natural light in the workshops. Accordingly, this solution requires an initial investment of VND 9 million, the compnay can save about VND 5.9 million annually.

In the production process of Thien Thanh company, the fabric, after being washed and dyed, will be put into hydroexactor before being dried. The company is currently using two 18.5 kW hydroexactors which operate 9 hours per day. In the process of squeezing, the weight of fabric will reduce, leading to changes in engine load.

Istalling Powerboss device to control the operation of the hydroexactor system can significantly reduce power consumption. According to calculations, Powerboss device could save 15,000 kWh per year, equivalent to VND 17 million.

At the boiler area, the company uses sucking fans with 22 kw motors. The capacity of sucking fan engines is redundant, making the engines operate under load. Besides, the sucking fan motors are too big, so they will increase the temperature and heat loss when operating. To deal with that problem, the audit team has suggested replacing 22 kW motors by 15 kW ones. This solution will make the capacity of the engine fit the design, reducing power consumption and heat loss, saving over VND 36 million per year.

With the installation of inverters to control the operation of pushing fans and sucking fans of the boiler area, the business can save over VND 94 million annually. The initial investment cost is VND 60 million and can be retrieved after only six months.

Especially, improving steam distribution pipes to prevent leaks has the potential to save 49 tons of coal, equivalent to about 33 tons of TOE per year. The cost which can be saved when implementing this solution is over VND 110 million per year, the payback period is 11 months.

According to energy audit team, to take full advantage of opportunities to reduce production costs and increase sales, the company should focus not only on energy efficiency measures through technical soltuions but also on energy management. Accordingly, along with the management of intensity and level of energy consumption, the company should a build long-term strategy on energy use. That way, the company can save 2-4% of total annual energy consumption, equivalent to saving nearly VND 120 million.

Minh Duc