When providing the space heating requirements for a large manufacturer, it’s imperative that the system utilised is not only effective, but efficient too. As part of an extensive process review, SIA Fibral took the opportunity to enhance its energy efficiency in an installation designed to incorporate existing equipment and deliver a monetary saving of about £50,000 per annum. 

SIA Fibral is the UK base for global abrasives manufacturer SIA Abrasives. Located in Halifax, the company use steam in the production of non-woven abrasives and non-shaping products. Due to the reactive nature of the solvents used in the manufacture of these products, an inert environment is vital for the safety of staff and the quality of the end product.

SIA Abrasives previously used a 6t steam boiler to provide steam to the process as well as for space heating of the 20,000m² site. The site’s steam boiler was only required to operate for two full days per week to meet process needs. However, if the processes on site did not require steam, the original boiler was still fired for heating purposes. With the boiler on site far too big for heating alone, SIA Fibral was using an inefficient means of heating. In addition, the old boiler used coolers to dissipate the heat it generated, wasting further energy. 

Following an assessment of the site, Bosch Commercial and Industrial Heating recommended that SIA Fibral’s heating needs could be met through the use of a 2.5t Universal UL-S steam boiler, less than half the size of its current boiler, thus maximising efficiencies.  

Capable of producing 2500kg of steam per hour, the Universal UL-S model produces low-carbon clean saturated steam. The Bosch patented three-pass technology, integrated economiser and effective thermally insulating materials deliver a high level of efficiency making it a suitable solution to meet all the requirements set out by SIA Fibral. Further to this, the boiler is equipped with a steam coil, allowing it to harness the steam from the original larger boiler while offline to keep warm, thus providing quicker start up times and greater efficiency. 

With site space at a premium, Bosch recommended that the new heating system be containerised. Fabricated off-site, the 40ft container allowed the system to be delivered and installed quickly and simply, keeping the impact on the running of the business to a minimum. The containerised boiler was piped into the existing system, allowing the larger steam boiler to provide the heating when it was used by the production process and the Bosch boiler to provide heat when the process was not required. With only one boiler needing to be fired at any one time, piping directly into the steam circuit via existing pipework resulted in the most efficient use of the site’s assets and energy, helping to keep installation costs down.

Eddie Bingham, head of operations at SIA Fibral, said: “As a busy site employing more than 95 people, it’s important that we provide our team with a comfortable environment in the most efficient, sustainable and cost effective way possible. By working closely with Bosch Commercial and Industrial Heating we were able to establish where and how savings could be made.

“In using a self-contained unit and pre-existing pipework, the installation had almost no effect on production. Once the containerised heating system arrived it was just a case of connecting the electricity and gas supply.” 

Rob Brown, technical manager for Industrial Boilers at Bosch Commercial and Industrial Heating, said: “The installation at SIA Fibral is a great example of how existing systems can, and should, be reviewed and adapted to ensure the demands of the site are met in a cost and energy efficient way. Through the use of a specially developed heating system, SIA Fibral will benefit from reduced running costs and a lower carbon footprint for years to come.”

With the new Bosch installation using 2500kg/h, compared to the previous 5.8t, the system is estimated to provide a monetary saving of approximately £50,000 per annum. A figure which equates to approximately 4MW of gas per year, helping to create a more sustainable business.