Coca-Cola HBC Italia Cuts Carbon Footprint With ENER-G Trigeneration Technology
Coca-Cola HBC Italia will reduce its carbon footprint by 15% and save 40% on its energy costs after installing an ENER-G combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) system. The ENER-G CCHP (trigeneration) technology is providing 40% of Coca-Cola HBC Italia’s energy needs at its Marcianise production facility in Campania, southern Italy (www.coca-colahellenic.it) .
The 1280 kWe decentralised energy system is supplying hot water, steam, cooling and electricity to provide 60% of the site’s power demand, 80% of its cooling and almost all of its steam requirements.
This is dramatically reducing Coca-Cola HBC Italia’s reliance on energy supplied from the grid and will achieve annual carbon dioxide savings of 1,343 tons, which is equivalent to the carbon that would be offset by a 1,271 acre forest.
ENER-G designed, installed and commissioned the containerised natural gas CHP system utilising a high efficiency MTU engine. The system is connected to a 500kW absorption chiller and a recovery boiler for the production of steam. It has a thermal capacity of 715 kWth.
The CCHP system produces hot water, steam and chilled water for use in the production and bottling process. This is distributed to the production area and bottling lines via a network of pipes, designed and built by ENER-G.
The high efficiency plant is expected to produce around 7,500 MWh of electricity per year and to operate 6,500 hours per year.
Christian Stella, Managing Director of ENER-G Italia, said: “We are very pleased to collaborate with Coca-Cola HBC Italia, which is a global sustainability leader. Beverage producers require large amounts of energy for applications such as process cooling, sterilisation of bottles and for cleaning installations. Proper management of energy use through the installation of a cogeneration plant is one of the most forward-looking investments in this field, with numerous benefits in terms of increased plant efficiency, lower energy costs, reduced CO2 emissions and fast turnaround times.”
Coca-Cola HBC Italia is part of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Group and produces famous brands such as Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Nestea at its Marcianise production facility.
CHP technology converts gas into both electricity and heat in a single process at the point of use. The low carbon process works by generating electricity on-site and recovering the majority of the heat created in the process, in contrast to conventional power stations where heat is wasted into the atmosphere through power station cooling towers. Distribution losses are also avoided since energy generation takes place on-site.
ENER-G, which is headquartered in the UK and has its Italian operation in Milan, has over 30 years’ experience and a strong track record in delivering end-to-end CHP solutions for industrial and commercial customers, and has around 1,400 units totalling over 500MW under contract.
