Energy & Environmental Management Focus on: Cooling 30 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk October/November 2024 Polypipe Building Services has significantly cut energy costs by up to £36,000 annually with the installation of a new process water cooling system at its Aylesford plant. Designed by Isocool and incorporating Eurochiller’s free air coolers, the system reduces energy consumption by utilising ambient air for cooling. Cooling system upgrade cuts energy costs and boosts efficiency at polymer plant Polypipe Building Services is saving up to £36,000 per year in electricity costs thanks to a new process water cooling system at its polymer pelletising plant in Aylesford. The new cooling system was designed and installed by Isocool and incorporates free air coolers manufactured by Eurochiller, both of which are part of the Atlas Copco Group. Polypipe Building Services specialises in the design and manufacture of above-ground drainage and supply systems, including the well-known industry brand Terrain. The chiller plant at its site in Aylesford is a vital part of the business, supplying the polymer mixing and pelletising process with cold water. Failure of the system could result in significant costs to keep production going whilst repairs or a replacement was arranged. The existing chillers were more than 20 years old and needed to be replaced. This offered the opportunity to upgrade to a more efficient system, but it also raised a number of challenges. Jim Pullar, Polypipe Building Services Site Services Manager, explained: “The replacement cooling system needed to be completed in the shortest timeframe possible to minimise downtime and avoid expensive disruptions to our manufacturing process. We only had a two-week shutdown window during
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