Previous Situation

Although the plants had state-of-the-art equipment for brewing and a high degree of automation in their production processes, it was found that energy efficiency had not been considered a priority during the engineering design stages or in day-to-day operational management.

The installed systems operated safely and reliably, but for the most part lacked automation aimed at optimizing energy consumption based on load variations, operating conditions, or the actual demand of auxiliary services. This limited the possibilities for fine-tuning and real-time savings opportunities.

Additionally, high energy consumption, increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the sustained rise in energy costs in the region made it clear that a comprehensive energy efficiency strategy was needed to ensure the medium- and long-term competitiveness of the plants.

In this context, ENEF conducted a full assessment of the energy operation of both plants, identifying key areas for improvement and designing a roadmap with concrete, rapidly implementable projects.

Relevant Improvement Projects

Following the assessment and technical analysis, more than 90 energy improvement opportunities were identified, with the following standing out for their high technical, economic, and environmental impact:

• Master load control for turbines and boilers: Automation of load distribution between turbines and boilers to maximize overall efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.

• New cogeneration system with gas turbine (GT) and heat recovery steam generator (HRSG): Replacement of the existing cogeneration system with a higher-efficiency cycle, generating steam and electricity simultaneously with lower emissions.

• Floating discharge pressure control on refrigeration compressors: Optimization of pressure setpoints based on actual demand, reducing electrical consumption and mechanical wear.

• Adsorption chiller using waste heat: Implementation of a cooling system that uses residual process heat, decreasing the load on traditional refrigeration systems.

• Three-stage compression refrigeration system: Reconfiguration of the industrial refrigeration system to improve performance in low-temperature applications and reduce specific energy consumption.

• Condensing economizer for boilers: Recovery of heat from boiler exhaust gases to preheat feedwater, increasing thermal performance and reducing natural gas consumption.

• Compressed air leak repair and compressor optimization: Comprehensive leak detection and sealing campaign in compressed air networks, along with optimization of compressor operating parameters.

Results

The audit provided a clear energy roadmap, prioritizing actions with the greatest technical and economic impact. Among the highlighted results were: