That is the reduction in emissions from the installation of a 2MW electric boiler with advanced European heat recovery technology at laundry operation Preens Apparelmaster and Linenmaster.
The company is the first commercial laundry in Australasia to install and commission such a boiler. Fully commissioned in July, the system now provides the majority of process heat for Preens’ Dunedin operations.
The two-and-a-half-year project, which was co-funded by EECA, began with scoping by Ahika (now Whirika) and was delivered with support from Dunedin-based project managers Feldspar.
Manufactured in New Zealand by Energy Plant Solutions, the boiler was the second of its kind when commissioned.
There are now seven either commissioned or under construction.
Producing consistent steam at 10.5-bar pressure (186°C), the system would reduce CO2-equivalent emissions by more than 800 tonnes annually. Energy use had improved dramatically — the kW per kilo of laundry processed is down by 44%.
The electric boiler ran entirely on certified renewable electricity, making Preens one of the world’s lowest-emission commercial laundries, managing director Rick Wellington said.
There were plans for solar panels next year which would further enhance sustainability, while water efficiency had also improved. Heat recovery and water reuse technology had halved water consumption across the facility.
During the feasibility phase, Preens explored multiple technologies to transition away from fossil fuels. Only a very small portion of process heat still used diesel and gas.
Even though the electric boiler had significant built-in redundancy, fossil-fuelled boilers remained on standby to meet power-saving requests from Aurora during maintenance periods or winter network constraints, Mr Wellington said.
Preens recently hosted a session with the Zero Carbon Alliance, including the University of Otago, Dunedin City Council and Dunedin Airport.
“It was great to brainstorm with like-minded organisations. Our mindset has always been: How can we do this better than yesterday? This is a giant step, but there’s still more work to do,” Mr Wellington said.
Preens, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022, has 100 team members in Dunedin, Gore and Oamaru. — Allied Media
