Case Study: Linwoods Bakery, Dairy and Healthfood Company, Armagh
RELIABLE POWER IS CALOR’S BREAD AND BUTTER “ Working with Calor Gas has improved control and reliability, as well as reducing running and maintenance costs” • Greater energy efficiency, reduced cost • Less maintenance, reduced downtime
• Cleaner fuel for food environment • F lexible fuel provides integrated solution
Linwoods has been in business for over 15 years and manufacture a range of Premium Bakery, Fresh Dairy and Healthy Super Food products. ‘We’d worked with Calor since our business was first established, and a couple of years ago we specified Calor Gas rather than fuel oil for our state of the art dairy plant, as we could readily see the benefits,’ says company owner John Woods. ‘Calor Gas provides precise temperature control. That’s essential in a dairy environment, to eliminate bacteria without affecting the quality of the product. The obvious reliability, reduced emissions and the associated lower costs were also impressive.’
Calor Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) provides precise temperature control in the dairy plant, essential to eliminate harmful bacteria.
BUSINESS
Linwood Bakeries
NAME
John Woods
POSITION Owner
The purpose-built dairy had seen Calor specified from the outset, with a powerful 3MW Cochrane Borderer steam boiler installed. This provided reliable, precisely controlled pasteurisation and heating in the milk bottling plant. The use of an LPG powered system offers advantages over both oil and electricity. A fully modulating burner allows rapid response to any demand for steam, but with significantly reduced CO2 emissions compared to oil. The Calor fired burners provide instant and constant steam and hot water on demand, in contrast to electric powered systems, which take time to heat the water supply.
The company operates a vast distribution network, reaching over 1,600 retail customers every day, and delivering its Healthy Super Food range of products throughout Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands. The company’s philosophy is one of innovation, dedicated to delivering the freshest, best tasting products of the highest quality. When the bakery business was set up in 1996, Linwoods installed one hotplate and three small reel ovens powered by Calor Gas, while they also installed five large oil burning ovens. However, having worked with oil and gas simultaneously for almost a decade, when Linwoods expanded their business in 2004 to include a dairy operation, they chose Calor to power the installation. The company’s experience of Calor had demonstrated the clear advantages of working with the country’s LPG experts.
Ovens fuelled by Calor Gas, means that running costs and maintenance are both reduced.
Converting to Calor reduces equipment downtime and maximises production and efficiency. In 2010, impressed with Calor’s track record and the performance of LPG in the new dairy, and the existing advantages of gas over oil in the bakery, John and colleagues, Plant Manager Seamus McMahon and Plant Engineer Peter McArdle, enlisted Calor’s expertise in replacing the five oil burners powering the bakery plant’s three rack ovens and two prover ovens.
Calor provides precise temperature control in the dairy plant, essential to eliminate harmful bacteria.
‘The use of modulating burner systems, as we had seen in the dairy plant, would improve control and reliability, as well as reducing running and maintenance costs and downtime. In addition, it would eliminate any risk of oil contamination and would reduce our CO2 emissions,’ adds John. ‘We identified that switching the entire bakery operation over to Calor Gas would reinforce those advantages across our business,’ adds John. Calor Sales Representative Mary McGee and Calor Customer Engineering Area Manager, Richard Alexander worked with the project team to specify the optimum solution. ‘Linwoods clearly recognised the advantages of Calor gas over other fuel options,’ says Mary. ‘We have an established track record in the food industry and time and again we have seen electric powered systems struggling to cope, and oil presenting real environmental and cost issues, with John complaining of high maintenance costs with the oil burners and the constant need for cleaning.’ ‘Working in a demanding, high quality food environment, Linwoods were adamant that only Calor could meet their standards, and we used our technical expertise to meet the needs of the business,’ she adds.
The installation of five fully modulating Calor Gas burners took place in March 2010. The bakery and dairy plants, operating as separate units, are now each powered from two sets of three, 3.8 litre LPG tanks with high vapour off-take capability. The new system and reliable Calor Gas fuel supply have produced immediate and noticeable benefits, mirroring the success already seen in the dairy. ‘Calor has more than delivered the results we were looking for. With the oil burners, we had problems with the ovens cutting off when the oil ran out and they also generated a lot of soot. The use of fully modulating gas burners has reduced both running and maintenance costs, thanks to the improved reliability of the new system and cleaner burning fuel’, explains Seamus. ‘This has resulted in considerable cost savings with Calor’. The enhanced reliability also ensures reduced equipment downtime, maximising production and efficiency. Linwoods also never have to worry about gas running out, due to Calor’s unique telemetry system, ensuring the tanks are automatically filled before they get too low. The company also enjoys environmental advantages, with CO2 emissions reduced compared to oil, and the reassurance that any risk of contamination or oil spillage, whether within or outside the premises, has been eliminated.
Calor is used in the dairy operation for sterilising the equipment.
Such is the success of the installation that Linwoods is now looking to convert the entire heating system for its administration building and the bakery despatch area, from oil to Calor Gas. This final phase, due for implementation early in 2011, will see the elimination of all oil on the site, and all production and heating being powered by Calor. ‘The new system is much more efficient and controllable’, John explains. ‘It provides us with absolute confidence and peace of mind, essential given the demanding requirements of the food sector in which we operate. Finally, it supports our ongoing business development, and reflects our philosophy of innovation and dedication to quality.’
THE BENEFITS AT A GLANCE • Gas powered ovens require less maintenance – which means less downtime • Gas provides precise temperature control to eliminate bacteria in dairy product preparation • Kinder to the environment – gas has lower carbon emissions • Gas is more responsive and controllable • Gas is versatile – many applications can run off the same supply • Gas is not susceptible to interruptions – unlike electricity • Stable gas prices throughout the day – avoids peak time charges
Comparative Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels Fuel LPG Electricity Oil Coal Peat Briquettes
gCO2 /kWh (NCV) 229.3 542.8 257.0 340.6 355.9
Source: SEI Energy in Ireland Report 2009
CALL
1850 812 450 (ROI) 028 9045 5588 (NI)
CLICK www.calorgas.ie E-MAIL info@calorgas.ie
• Gas tanks do not require the construction of containment bunds – unlike oil
About Calor At Calor, we have been delivering innovative energy solutions for over 70 years. Our team can deliver a complete tailor-made energy solution for your needs. By working with manufacturers of energy efficient technologies, we stay at the cutting edge of developments in the energy industry. Accordingly, we recommend the most energy efficient solutions for you, allowing you to keep pace with changing building regulations and reduce CO2 emissions.