Companies can generate energy for their own use and improve their overall energy efficiency by modernising existing equipment.

Simple measures like replacing old boilers with new ones can increase their efficiency by up to 15 %. The highest energy savings can be achieved in cases when companies retrofit old boilers (e.g. coal or oil-fired units) to run on more efficient natural gas or other alternative fuels.

Examples here include high-performance hybrid boilers burning a liquid coal and biomass combination, or fully replacing gas-fired boilers with biomass boilers. There is scope, especially in industrial and chemical plants, to tweak or upgrade equipment generating waste gases to produce heat.

Gas co-generation units which combine heat and electricity generation (CHP – combined heat and power) is a good alternative, too. CHP installations are mostly used to preheat the auxiliary feed-water for steam boilers, or closed hot-water systems for industrial or social purposes. To minimise energy waste, it is important to match the CHP’s capacity to the heat produced and downstream needs.