Suntory Beverage and Food GB&I, the producer of soft drinks such as Ribena and Lucozade, is making great strides towards achieving its net zero targets with the help of Grundfos’ retrofit solutions. By upgrading its aging pump systems, the global manufacturer aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050, based on a 2015 baseline.
When Suntory Beverage and Food made its sustainability commitments, its factory in Coleford, UK, was experiencing multiple issues with its older pump systems. It was clear to the energy and sustainability manager, Daniel Gray, that the pumps were wasting energy, and a retrofit solution was desperately needed to improve the plant’s processes and reduce its CO2 emissions.
To accomplish this, Suntory Beverage and Food turned to Grundfos’ retrofit service, which involved a comprehensive Energy Check Advanced that analyzed the current pump performance and suggested ways in which potential energy savings could be made. Three projects were undertaken, which included upgrading the towns water, treated water, primary chilled water, and central chilled pump systems.
Grundfos supplied groups of NBE end suction, close-coupled E-pumps, which feature highly efficient IE3 or IE5 motors, MPC-E controls, and Grundfos Remote Management technology. The company’s electronically controlled E-pumps have built-in variable speed drives that work on demand with pressure control and temperature control, ensuring the pumps only operate when the system needs them.
The energy savings from the first retrofit projects have already demonstrated the overall sustainability potential of Grundfos’ E-pumps, with an estimated 4% reduction in the factory’s emissions. Furthermore, other aspects of the retrofit solution have proven beneficial to the factory, such as the ability to remotely monitor the pump systems and the ease with which the staff can handle the smaller, quieter pumps.
“I don’t think we’ve had one [a pump retrofit project] where the payback has been more than two years,” said Gray.
Overall, Grundfos’ iSOLUTIONS universe – comprising of intelligent pumps, cloud connectivity, and digital services – has optimized the plant’s entire pump system, offering a significant opportunity for energy and carbon savings. By utilizing real-time monitoring, remote control, fault prediction, and system optimization, the Grundfos retrofit has propelled Suntory Beverage and Food towards achieving its net zero targets.
Visit the Grundfos website to learn more about their retrofit service for the food and beverage industry.
