IGOR, a leader in Gorgonzola production, confirms its selection of Intergen to double its cogeneration plant
Lomagna – July 18th, 2018 – Almost three years after the installation of the first cogeneration plant at its factory in Cameri (NO), Igor, world renowned for its production of the famous Gorgonzola D.O.P. cheese, has confirmed its confidence in Intergen as a strategic partner for its energy saving and sustainability policy, entrusting the company to double its plant with installation of a new 1560 kWe unit.
An Italian company founded by the Leonardi family, Igor is always searching for process innovation and wholesome ingredients to ensure the long-lasting quality of the Gorgonzola it exports around the world. The company has expanded its production plant in recent years, which currently occupies an area of 50,000 m2, and has installed new processing lines. The planned growth in production involves an increase in demand for thermal energy and electricity, which will quickly result in exceeding the capacity of the planned cogeneration plant, assembled and put into service by Intergen in July 2015.
“We are very happy with the new order from Igor,” commented Roberto Barbieri Intergen’s Proposal Manager. “The customer makes an Italian delicacy known around the world and has an entrepreneurial shareholding, like us. We are proud that they have renewed their confidence in us to accompany them in their growth process where they have made major investments for several years.”
The desire to continue to benefit from the advantages of cogeneration which adds energy efficiency and reduction of impact in terms of emissions, convinced Igor to commission Intergen to create a second unit, to integrate in the existing energy infrastructure.
The new cogenerator is a natural gas fuelled MWM TCG 2020V16 NOx 1560 kWe, with electrical efficiency of 42.2% and thermal of 44.6%, and is integrated with the existing one, a TCG 2020V20 250 NOx 2000 kWe, in a system that can also operate both in island, which is what normally occurs, or in parallel network.
Moreover, the two units can operate together or separately to supply the factory’s electrical and thermal utilities, ensuring maximum operating flexibility and easy maintenance.
The total electricity produced is provided to the distribution network in medium voltage of the plant and is completely self-consumed. The recovered heat is used in the form of two vectors: steam and hot water. The exhaust heat, through a fume pipe recovery unit, supplies the steam generators, is input at the pressure of 12 bar into the factory distribution network, which traditional boilers also contribute to. The engine cooling circuits, through a heat exchanger heat water to around 90 degrees, which supplies a reserve of 50,000 litres. The three stage battery also contributes to the hot water circuit. It recovers heat at a lower temperature from the exhaust, downstream from the steam generator, and before release into the atmosphere.
The two heat vectors, steam and hot water, supplied by the cogeneration plant, are used for production processes, including pasteurisation, washing and sterilising containers.
The second cogeneration plant of the Igor factory is installed in a container outdoors in an optimised configuration to reduce taking up space, with the emergency boiler and radiator located on the roof. The existing unit is installed inside a pre-existing utility room. Sound proofing at 65 dBa at 10 metres is guaranteed in both cases.
The new cogeneration unit is supplied with an eight year Full Service assistance contract, same as for the first one. The service includes continuous monitoring, 24/7 and 365 days a year, of the plant operation from Intergen’s control room, where specialists are able to optimise operation, intervene to solve minor problems, perform remote diagnostics and activate local assistance if critical problems occur. This type of service makes it possible to obtain maximum efficiency and availability of the cogeneration plant. An eloquent example of this is the first unit installed at Cameri, which produced energy for 8490 hours in 2017, serving a factory that normally works with three shifts.
