Chi Thanh Ice Manufacturing Ltd based in My Tho, Tien Giang is specialized in providing ice for offshore fishing vessels. The technological process mainly uses electric. So energy saving solutions mainly focus on electric efficiency, especially in key consumption areas such as compressors and heat pumps.

Monthly, the plant consumes about 830,000 kWh, 95% of which is for operating the compressor in the technological line, the remaining amount is to serve offices and lighting.

While most businesses implementing energy efficiency often choose to improve the lighting system firstly due to the simplicity and high economic benefits, in Chi Thanh Company, the lighting of facilities and offices utilizes natural light through lighting metal sheets. This not only reduces power consumption but also is good for health and working environment of workers.

As an ice manufacturing facility, the company must always focus on heat insulation. However, freezing basements of the company are not equipped with covers so the heat loss is huge, which is accompanied by increased operating time of refrigeration compressors. The use of heat insulating foams for freezing basements could help the company save approximately 160,000 KWh, equivalent to over VND140 million per year. The initial investment cost is estimated to be around VND80 million and could be retrieved after 8 months.

At the area of nozzle and liquid separation vessel, insulating materials such as Gel and Foam with the thickness of 2cm are used to reduce heat loss and sucking end overheating. This solution has helped the company save VND57 million annually while the initial investment cost is about VND33 million.

For the cooling water pump unit, the plant is using three condensing unit cooling water pumps including two 25Hp pumps and one 15Hp pump. Analysis has shown that this unit often works under load, the difference between water in and out of the condenser is 3 degrees showing that the capacity of cooling pump is redundant. To overcome this situation, according to audit experts, the company can abandon the 15Hp pump. Assuming the pump efficiency is 60%, the company can save nearly 50,000 kWh or VND44 million per year.

All these solutions can help Chi Thanh Company save about 270,000 kWh or VND241 million annually. The initial capital is estimated to be VND113 million and can be completely retrieved after less than six months.

Mr Tran Van Song, the Director, said: "Apart from business development, we always focus on energy efficiency. From solutions that Tien Giang Energy Efficiency Center suggested, we’ll try to choose simple solutions to implement in the first phase. In the future, we hope to be able to successfully apply all solutions and make the energy efficiency become common sense of all officials and employees".

By Minh Duc