The plant is establishing a biogas (from a bio-digester) facility to replace its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in certain areas of the plant. This is in addition to a saving of 10.6 MW, totalling 6.6%, achieved on its 160 MW baseline in 2012, or 92.8 GWh.
Saldanha launched its energy management strategy in 2010. Initially the potential savings were determined through an existing project list and an energy audit on the plant. ISO 50001 was implemented and energy management is now part of the facility’s daily routines.
Among the energy saving initiatives is a waste heat project at the plant’s roller hearth furnace where waste heat was used to replace a diesel heater at the air separation plant. The facility also undertook optimisation projects at the water plant on pump systems that required no capital expenditure.