US TECHNOLOGIES

Pilot Project

"Introduction to Energy Efficiency and Energy Management Systems in SMEs in Mexico"

Example of energy efficiency improvement action US Technologies S.A. de C.V.: Optimization of dehydration processes (Graphite and Alternate Fuel)

Background information

The implementation of the pilot project began with the introductory workshop to ISO 50001:2011 in October 2015. The companies then conducted energy audits to identify and prioritize various opportunities for improvement, under the guidance of Mexican consultants with expertise in energy efficiency.

One of the participating companies is US Technologies S.A. de C.V. located in Tultitlán, State of Mexico. This company regenerates various types of oil for reuse.

Description of the improvement

The greatest energy consumption in the regeneration of oils is related to the evaporation of water, which constitutes the main contaminant. The energy used to separate the water from the oil is released into the environment in the form of steam. About 90% of the plant’s fuel consumption is used to dehydrate oil.

The improvement plan was identified as a direct result of the energy audit conducted for the pilot project and basically involved recovering the energy lost to the atmosphere in the form of steam in order to satisfy the heat needs of the oil dehydration processes, as shown in the following figure.

This successful case study was documented as a result of the energy management system that is being implemented with the pilot project.

Savings achieved, results and additional benefits

Another benefit of this project was that the graphite production capacity increased 11 times, since the process used to take 72 hours and now only requires 6.5 hours, less than 10% of the time originally needed. In the case of alternative fuel production, the increase in production capacity was 5.4 times. This makes it possible to reduce response times with customers and to improve the oil regeneration service, which represents an increase in sales.

This case study illustrates the energy efficiency potential of using waste heat generated that has been identified through a systematic analysis.

The Mexican National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy (CONUEE) and the German Metrology Institute (PTB) make the aforementioned project available to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in order for them to implement an energy management system (EnMS) according to ISO 50001, by strengthening the skills of technical staff within each company. For more information on the pilot project, contact Lissette Mendoza Barrón, Tel. 3000 1000 ext. 1318, lissette.mendoza@conuee.gob.mx or Susanne Wendt, susanne.wendt@ptb.de