Through energy audit, experts of Hanoi Energy Conservation Center - ECC HN have assessed the status of energy use to build effective energy saving solutions for Hanoi Kim Bai beer JSC.

Mr. Nguyen Van Chinh, deputy director of production of the company, said "The design capacity of the company's production line is 30 million liters per year. According to statistics, in 2009, the entire company consumed 748 tons of coal and approximately 1.5 million KWh of electricity, equivalent to the energy cost of about VND 4.3 billion. This cost affected the revenue of the business. With the advice from ECC HN, we have found several potential to reduce production costs. In the coming time, we shall gradually implement the proposed solutions".

Representative of the energy audit team, Hoang Quan - Expert of ECC HN, said that during the audit process, the audit team had reviewed most of the devices consuming and producing energy of the company, indentified energy consuming equipment, processes as well as energy consumption norms and energy characteristics of equipment and plants. On that basis, the energy audit team has proposed solutions for the company to perform in the future. Accordingly, the team has made ​​three major groups of solutions for the enterprise to select including low investment solutions, average investment solutions and solutions requiring large initial cost.

Performing all nine proposed solutions, each year, Hanoi Kim Bai Beer Company will have opportunities to reduce the consumption of about 750 tons of coal and 275 thousand kWh of electricity. With energy prices as in 2010, it has been estimated that each year, the company could save VND 954 million. The audit team suggested the business build a strategy of energy use and a complete energy management system in the future.

For the engines, to reduce the time of no load, under load operation, they should be equipped with inverters. Specifically, Hanoi Kim Bai Beer Company should consider installing inverters for the central air compressor, coolant pumping engines at the 156 m3 tank area and motors of 4 t/h boiler sucking fans.

Through analysis, the installation of inverters for coolant pumping engines at the 156 m3 tank area can help the business save 15 to 35% of energy consumption of the engine and help the engine perform better, reduce maintenance costs, and increase engines’ life. With the central air compressor using inverters, the company can save over 20 thousand kWh per year or about VND 21 million.

The bottles sterilizing unit uses about 7-9% of the plant’s steam and uses 40 to 75 0C hot water. After the steam sterilizes bottles, it will be discharged through the drainage system of the plant. This offers the potential of saving fuel and heat for the boiler system. The solution of recovering condensed water will save fuel for the boiler system. Specifically, recovering condensed water at the bottles sterilizing unit to supply to products sterilizing unit shall reduce the consumption of 7 tons of coal per year, equivalent to over VND 22 million per year.      

In particular, the measure of improving the system of condensed water tanks in the boiler area to increase the efficiency of condensed water use can save more than VND 280 million per year. This solution requires an investment of VND 160 million. The payback period is about 6 months.

Currently, the company has applied some energy efficiency solutions such as replacing old and outdated equipment, technologies like some pumps, fans, upgrading a number of devices from electronic control to inverter control. Besides, the company has also reduced production during peak hours, required all officials and employees of production units to minimize the use of power and other types of energy.

By Minh Duc