Tegel’s innovative technology pays off

News release:

Tegel’s innovative technology pays off

Tegel Foods Ltd has implemented an innovative heat recovery system that will save the company more than $110,000 a year in gas and electricity.

A grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) helped as an incentive for the company to invest in this technology.

The system is expected to pay for itself in just two years and will save 630 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.

‘By implementing this energy efficient technology Tegel are proving they are leaders in their industry.

They are minimizing the impact of energy price rises, getting more for their energy dollar and reducing carbon dioxide emissions’, said Angus Davidson, Chief Executive of EECA.

Tegel, based in New Plymouth, runs one of New Zealand’s largest poultry processing plants. The plant requires large amounts of energy for refrigeration and hot water, a combination that made the company an ideal candidate for a heat recovery system.

Tegel’s installation of a heat recovery system captures the waste energy in the form of heat and converts it into energy to heat water, resulting in the need to burn less natural gas in its boilers.

Another outcome from the project was a reduced load on the refrigeration system, which prompted Tegel to shelve plans to install another $300,000 cooling tower. The project has also been so successful that Tegel is now looking at extending the system to include the water used by the plant’s scalders, which would save another $40,000 a year.

This technology can be replicated in many industry and business situations. Similar systems could be introduced at any business with a large refrigeration system and high hot water use. This includes meatworks, vegetable and fish-processing plants and dairy factories.

The same basic technology could also be used in medium to large-sized hotels (100 beds or more), where waste heat from air conditioning could be used to heat water for showers.

A full case study is available at www.eecabusiness.govt.nz/eib.

EECA technology grants

EECA, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority has grants available for businesses in energy intensive sectors for demonstration projects.

Grants of up to 40% of the capital cost of the project are available, with a maximum of $100,000 for each grant. EECA is looking to support energy efficient technologies that are commercially available but are not yet common place in New Zealand.

EECA grants are available for businesses from the following sectors; heavy transport fleets, wood processing, basic metals, glasshouse crops, irrigated dairying, irrigated arable crops, food and beverage processing, fishing fleet operation and non-metallic products.

Other businesses where energy is greater than 5% of their total business costs are also eligible.

Full details on the grants are available at www.eecabusiness.govt.nz/eib.

ENDS

EECA is improving energy choices. Find out more by visiting www.eeca.govt.nz

© Scoop Media