West Linn Paper Company Saves $379,000 Annually After Receiving Save Energy Now Assessment

March 14, 2008

Searching for additional energy-efficient practices, the West Linn Paper Company participated in a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Save Energy Now assessment. The West Linn, Oregon, mill had previously upgraded boiler controls and was investigating other energy savings options when Energy Expert Bill Moir, of Steam Engineering, Inc., conducted the assessment using DOE’s Steam System Assessment Tool (SSAT) software and provided seven recommendations for improving energy efficiency.  

By implementing several of the steam system improvement opportunities identified during the assessment, the mill achieved annual cost savings of $379,000 and natural gas savings of approximately 58,200 MMBtu. These recommendations included connecting two separate heaters and installing a blowdown recovery system, retuning boiler controls to lower excess flue gas oxygen content, and performing a steam trap survey.  

“The Save Energy Now Assessment was a great way to help us quantify the opportunities we knew were out there and dis­cover additional opportunities we hadn’t seen before," said Robert Hart, Engineering Manager for West Linn Paper Company. "It helped us prioritize the work and sell it to mill management. Training with the Steam System Assessment Tool program also gave us a consistent method to evaluate new projects. It was time well spent.”  

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