Compressed Air System Saves Energy, Improves Production at Weyerhaeuser Sawmill

December 2, 2004

In 2000, Weyerhaeuser Company, a DOE Allied Partner, increased the efficiency of the compressed air system at its sawmill in Coburg, Oregon, in a project originally conceived by a Qualified AirMaster+ Specialist. This project saves about 1.3 million kWh annually at the Coburg plant; it has helped to increase the plant's productivity as well as improve the performance of the entire compressed air system. The project team also upgraded compressor controls, stabilized pressure levels, repaired system leaks, reduced waste, and fixed some other problems with the system. Since the total project cost at the Coburg plant was only $55,000, and resulting annual energy cost savings are also $55,000, the simple payback period is only one year. Subsequent improvement at six other company plants and mills are yielding 6.8 million kWh in energy savings and reducing annual energy costs by $250,000.

Weyerhaeuser: Compressed Air System Improvement Saves Energy and Improves Production at a Sawmill (PDF 385 KB) Download Acrobat Reader