Better Burner Operation at Soda Ash Plant Yields 1.5 Month Payback

August 19, 2004

FMC Chemicals: Burner Management System Upgrade Improves Performance and Saves Energy at a Chemical Plant (PDF 403 KB) Download Acrobat Reader

FMC Chemicals Corporation improved the efficiency of two large coal-fired boilers at its soda ash mine in Green River, Wyoming. An upgraded burner management system allowed the plant to discontinue a continuous natural gas supply without compromising boiler operation. The upgrade yields 250,000 MMBtu in annual energy savings. Combined with other upgrades, the project saves $911,000 annually, with a simple payback of 1.5 months. Boiler reliability and plant safety are also improved, and a smaller inventory of spare parts is needed.