Reducing carbon footprint, cutting down on energy spend and building sustainable businesses have become priority goals for businesses across the globe, but arguably nowhere more so than in South Africa. Rising energy costs, loadshedding and the pressure to be...

The implementation of the new 100MW licensing threshold for private generation could make it much easier for businesses reliant on steam – such as in the manufacturing sector (textiles, breweries and so on) – to use their existing infrastructure for power generation. By increasing the pressure of the steam used in one’s operation, a turbine designed to generate additional electricity for the business can then be added to the existing system.

The implementation of the new 100MW licensing threshold for private generation could make it much easier for businesses reliant on steam – such as in the manufacturing sector (textiles, breweries and so on) – to use their existing infrastructure for power generation. By increasing the pressure of the steam used in one’s operation, a turbine designed to generate additional electricity for the business can then be added to the existing system.

It was recently reported that South Africa’s manufacturing production decreased by 49.4% year-on-year in April – largely due to the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. As a result manufacturing operations are under severe pressure to increase production levels to normal again, and any additional unplanned downtime as a result of failing equipment will have catastrophic consequences for the sector, which is working to claw back its profit margins.

The economic down-turn has had a severe impact on countless businesses, forcing many to re-examine their operational costs. For commercial and industrial businesses that rely on steam, a dedicated and reliable service provider offering outsourced steam can deliver significant cost efficiency while eliminating the need for up-front capital investment, which reduces overall business risk.

Businesses that rely heavily on boilers are occasionally confronted with a situation where they are forced to operate at reduced capacity. Whether the company is undergoing large-scale maintenance on its boiler systems, or a system breakdown occurs, they face the very real risk of operations grinding to a halt when the boilers stop.

Businesses that require boilers for their operation are usually faced with a choice between acquiring new boiler units, or refurbished ones. One of the most common misconceptions in the market is that refurbished units are less efficient or will have shorter life spans than brand new boilers.

Regardless of the application, the priority of any steam operation is cost effectiveness. Finding the most cost-effective solution is a matter of achieving the optimal level of reliability, energy efficiency and asset preservation. As projects get bigger, running at peak efficiency becomes exponentially more important, and energy-related cost becomes a much bigger component of total lifecycle cost over 70% in many cases. This is something that Energy Partners can attest to, having recently completed one of its largest boiler installations to date.