Case study
Ak Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.
| City/Region | Sakarya |
|---|---|
| Country | Turkiye |
| Implemented solution | Reduction of energy cost by energy service with high-efficiency chillers |
ISSUE
Saving energy, improving productivity
Increase of fuel price and electricity bill is not exceptional in Turkiye. To save energy at a national level, Turkish government has implemented laws and regulations concerning energy saving, requiring companies to be more proactive efforts. At a dairy factory of Ak Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (Ak Gıda), Turkiye’s largest dairy company, the increased energy cost is a key factor that may jeopardize productivity and the company’s economics. Improving efficiency was the urgent task in order to reduce energy cost and reinvest in development to produce better dairy products. However, in a complex facility with various equipment, it was difficult to identify what improvement should be made to get the best result, without an expert.
SOLUTION
KEY POINTS TO THE SOLUTION
- Our strategic partner, ESCON(*), specialists visit the client’s factory to conduct energy audit and provide analysis report (*)ESCON is a Turkish energy services and engineering company, a strategic business partner of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems (MHI Thermal Systems) in Centrifugal Chiller business.
- Replacement with high-efficiency centrifugal chiller in minimum downtime enabling the client to enjoy short payback time
- Up to 60% reduction in annual energy costs, drastic reduction in CO₂ emissions
Specialists conduct energy audit
Our partner, ESCON (Escon Enerji Sistemleri ve Cihazları San. ve Tic. A.Ş., CEO: Onur Ünlü), is a pioneer in the ESCO business that has been at the forefront of energy conservation in Turkiye for 15 years. With its proven accuracy and reliability of energy audits, consulting technology, energy performance contracts, and turnkey construction capabilities, backed by experience, the company has a proven track record both in Turkiye and abroad. The experienced specialists visited the client’s factory, assessed the usage and environmental conditions, provided consulting service for the efficiency improvement. In this factory, one of the main factors determining the energy consumption was the cooling system that required to maintain low temperatures used for sterilization process. Based on the specialist’s advice and mutual discussion, the client decided to replace several low-capacity ammonia screw chillers with a larger centrifugal chiller with higher efficiency manufactured by MHI Thermal Systems, and this chiller replacement contributed to reduced maintenance cost in addition to the electricity cost.
Replacement with high-efficiency centrifugal chiller in minimum downtime
After discussing ESCON’s audit report, our client decided to optimize the energy efficiency by revamping the chiller system including auxiliary equipment such as pumps, valves, and piping. Seamless coordination between procurement, manufacturing, logistics and on-site teams enabled the installation of high-efficiency centrifugal chiller and plant modifications to be completed in the shortest possible time.
60% reduction in annual energy costs and 656-ton reduction in CO₂ emissions achieved
The installation of MHI Thermal Systems’ high-efficiency centrifugal chiller, which provides a stable supply of 1.5℃ chilled water without the use of brine, has resulted in energy savings of 1,125 MW/year which is equivalent to approximately 60% of the annual power consumption of the production line. This also led to an annual reduction in CO₂ emissions of 655.7 tons. The amount of the capital investment was recovered in approximately 3.5 years. After revamping the system, ESCON monitors its operation remotely and maintains the system by periodical visits, while making relentless efforts to improve productivity to further contribute to the global environment. In 2020, ESCON opened Sakarya Service Center, an after-sales service facility, which enables the provision of comprehensive maintenance in Turkiye.
OUTCOME
- Contributions to carbon neutrality by providing significant energy savings and reducing CO₂ emissions
- Increase Customers’ brand equity as a company actively involved in energy conservation
- Increase productivity through lower investment and running expenditures, allowing such benefit to be passed on to products and services for the customers
Disclaimer
- Energy improvement depends on environment such as climate, application, operation time and load.
- Energy audit, consulting service, installation of equipment including MHI Thermal Systems’ Chiller are provided by ESCON in Turkiye. MHI Thermal Systems supplies centrifugal chillers for such projects.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, as one of the core subsidiaries of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries group, offers thermal technologies and solutions.
