Lassonde improves energy performance through heat recovery

Adopted solution

The proposal called for the installation of a high temperature heat pump with a capacity of 1.6 MMBTU/hr on the plant’s chilled water system. With a 4,500-litre (1,000-gallon) thermal storage tank, the heat pump can heat water to 60°C (140°F). The tank also prevents the cross effect between heat availability and fresh water consumption.

Project manager Navada, a company specializing in building mechanics and processes, had previously measured the water consumption of the exchangers over a four-week period to accurately determine the water heating requirements and thus maximize the unit’s efficiency.

“This solution quickly became the obvious choice, not only because of its technical and operational advantages, but also because it gave us access to grants that allowed us to significantly reduce the return on investment period”, explained Jean-Nicolas Turcotte, senior maintenance and engineering manager at the Saint-Damase site.

Summary of energy improvements

In its first year of operation, the heat pump system produced satisfactory results, with natural gas savings of 188,000 m³, a 356-tonne reduction in GHG emissions, and increased production line reliability.

A pioneering project

Not only has this project enabled Lassonde Industries to achieve its objectives, it will also serve as a springboard for other similar initiatives.

“As part of our ESG approach, we’ve made a commitment to reduce our GHG emissions,” says Pierre Turner, Senior Vice-President, Innovation, Quality, Sustainability, at Lassonde. “The Saint-Damase project and the results we got led us to track our emissions at all our other sites. This is the kind of initiative we want to replicate at our other 16 plants in North America [to strengthen the sustainability of our production chain/to contribute to our sustainability targets].”

Énergir’s role in the project

For this project, Énergir analyzed and approved the customer’s grant application under the Study and Implementation component of its Energy Efficiency Program – Energy Audit and Implementation. Énergir’s grant of $100,000 to the customer based on natural gas savings of 226,300 m³ per year was added to a $482,000 grant from the Québec government, which allowed the customer to reduce the ROI period to 3.1 years.

In many cases, customers can also benefit from the assistance of an advisor from Énergir’s DATECH team to identify heat recovery or energy consumption optimization potential following a visit to the facilities. Once the energy savings have been confirmed by a consultant or the customer’s internal engineer, the DATECH advisor can guide the customer and support implementation of the project with significant financial assistance.

Conclusion

Thanks to a detailed analysis of the customer’s needs and effective collaboration between all the stakeholders, the project was completed in just 10 months and at a lower cost, enabling the Lassonde plant in Saint-Damase to meet its operational objectives and take a new step forward in terms of energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint. These efforts are part of a sustainable development approach for all Lassonde companies in North America, for which the Saint-Damase plant now serves as a model.

Cimon Desforges
Senior Energy Advisor
DATECH Group