Plant Site Refrigeration Upgrade

Abstract

Bayer Corporation operates a multi-division manufacturing facility in Bushy Park, South Carolina. Low temperature refrigeration (-4°F) is required by many of the chemical manufacturing areas and is provided by a Plant Site Refrigeration System. The Bushy Park Site recently installed a highly energy efficient Refrigeration System in an effort to improve reliability, eliminate the use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants, improve efficiency, and reduce electric costs. The new system replaced an outdated, energy inefficient, CFC based system that was unreliable and expensive to operate. The installation of the direct compression ammonia Refrigeration System resulted in energy savings of 64.8% and reduced electric costs by more than $600,000 per year. The environmental benefits of this project, including the elimination of CFC refrigerants, were substantial. Using U.S. EPA factors for local electric generating facilities, the reduction in energy consumption represents an annual reduction of approximately 9,850 Tons of CO2, 83 Tons of SO2 and 42 Tons of NOx.