Back to Partnership Profiles Index
Chef Francisco – H.J. Heinz
King of Prussia, PA
Scope of Work:
Armstrong International owns, operates, and maintainsthe utility assets, including steam, compressed air, andwastewater treatment. Additionally, Armstrong is responsiblefor the maintenance of the steam and air distribution systemsthroughout the Chef Francisco facility.
The powerhouse produces a peak of 105,000 lbs/hr of steamand 7000 cfm of compressed air.
The Armstrong engineering team conducted several upgradeprojects in the steam, compressed air, and wastewatersystems.
Armstrong maintains a crew of four on-site employees who are responsible for the operation and maintenance of the utilityassets and the steam and air distribution systems. This includes an Armstrong site supervisor who has overall responsibility forthese systems including system effi ciency, reliability, and reporting.
Upgrade Projects:
- Reduce boiler blowdown
- Installed new receiver tank for compressed air system
- Increase condensate return
- Boiler combustion optimization
- Repair and/or replace failed steam traps
- Installed compressed air condensate drains
- Compressor cooling heat recovery
- Reduce air compressor’s operating pressure
- Recover heat from refrigeration machines
- Installed water separator
- Upgrade hot water system for lines A&B
- Upgrade pH adjustment and DAF Unit
- Improve air quality and reduce system
- Installed industrial vacuum pumps to eliminatepressure drops “Venturi” air waste
- Replace damaged or missing insulation on
- Installed capacitor bank to increase the power factorysteam/condensate pipe lines avoiding electricity penalties
- Installed new air compress with a VFD, saving
- Installed an Energy Optimization System (EOS) tosubstantial energy monitor energy usage and utility systems performance
Contract:
The agreement’s total value is in excess of $62 million. The fi nancing was secured utilizing Armstrong strategic partners,Americas Power Partners/LaSalle Bank. The type of contract is an Energy Service Agreement.
Time of Service:
26-year operation and maintenance term began September 2001.
Benefits:
Heinz avoided $2 million in capital expenditures and improved reliability and environmentalconcerns. All savings were guaranteed (savings amounts cannot be shared by confi dentialityagreement). Heinz received a capital payment for the powerhouse assets.
