Client Summary

Bromford Iron are the UK’s leading producer of hot rolled steel flats, sections and profiles. They have a history of over 200 years of rolling hot metals and specialising in producing tailor made hot rolled profiles. They have resided in their factory in West Bromwich since their establishment in 1673.

The company were faced with rising energy costs which were having serious consequences on their ability to remain competitive and profitable.

Enlisting the specialist help of Pro Enviro, they initiated a programme of process optimisation using Lean Green principles and Low Carbon technologies to reduce energy consumption and cost. One of the examples of a technology that was applied to reduced electricity consumption was variable speed drive (VSD) and variable frequency drive (VFD) systems to large recirculation cooling pumps within the process.

The Old System

The old system had no existing controls on the frequency or speed for the motors or pumps. This system meant that the motors were either on or off. The annual consumption and costs are shown below:

Machine	Annual Consumption (kWh)	Annual Cost
Furnace Fixed Speed Drive Fan	55,000	£8,800
Water pumps x6	128,700	£20,592
Air Pump Fixed Speed Drive Motor	48,000	£7,680
Total	231,700	£37,072

It was calculated that 50% of the consumption was being wasted unnecessarily during the periods when the motors were in but did not need to run at full speed.

New System and Rationale

Eight Variable Speed Drives (VSD) / Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) controllers were designed with the aim to provide full control of the frequencies and speeds of the rotation of the motors and pumps located on the Hot Mills. The VSD / VFD units would also have the additional benefits of:

Reducing the electrical burden on the motors/pumps and electrical components meaning the equipment’s lifespan was extended.
Significantly reducing power consumption and carbon emissions.
Reducing the annual electricity costs due to reduced power consumption.

Project Costs and Savings

The project cost was £28,000 and using the data collected from the companies SEE Change (aM&T) system, it was established that the annual savings totalled £19,452, and the company’s carbon footprint was reduced by 66 tonnes per year.

the chart below shows the impact of the introduction of the controllers in the energy consumption.