New Industrial Park Energy Supply for Economical Energy Conservation

Abstract

The new industrial park energy supply (NIPES) concept is an attractive approach for providing a stable, long-term domestic energy source for industrial plants at reasonable cost and reasonable financial risk. The NIPES concept consists of a system of energy supply stations and steam transmission lines that supply process heat and electricity to multiple users in an industrial park(s) setting. The energy supply stations grow along with the industrial park(s) as new industries are attracted by a reliable, reasonably priced energy source. This paper describes the generic NIPES concept and summarizes the results of the evaluation of a specific NIPES system for the Lake Charles, Louisiana, area. The economics of the specific NIPES system is compared to that of individual user-owned coal-fired facilities for new industrial plants and of individual user-owned oil-fired facilities for existing industrial plants. The results indicate substantial savings associated with the NIPES system for both new and existing users and/or a potential for high return on investment by third-party investors.