After more than halving its electricity use between 2007 and 2019, the latest investments at the BUMAX factory in Åshammar in central Sweden annually save an additional 90 MWh of electricity.
“We have sourced 100% renewable electricity for our operations at Åshammar since 2011 and we continuously work to optimize energy efficiency,” explains Anders Sjölund, Manager Production Projects & Production IT at BUMAX. “Two of our recent investments have not only significantly reduced our electricity use, but also made water and cost savings.”
The 90 MWh electricity savings from these two investments are equivalent to around 7% of our site’s total electricity use in 2023 and are enough to power four and a half typical Swedish family homes each year.
New coating bath annually saves 50 MWh and more than 70,000 liters of water
BUMAX installed a new fastener carrier coating bath in the fall 2022 that is super insulated to reduce heating demand and is fully enclosed to minimize evaporation. The investment is part of ongoing improvements in its operations.
“In its first full year in operation in 2023, the bath saved us around 50 MWh and more than 70,000 liters of water compared with our old bath,” explains Per-Olov Strand, Production Technician and Flow Manager at the BUMAX factory in Åshammar.
The carrier coating bath has fully automated heating and ventilation systems with energy saving modes. A pump stirs the bath solution, which is much more energy efficient than the pressurized air circulation system in the old bath.
Efficient hot water system annually saves around 40 MWh
BUMAX replaced its central domestic hot water electric boiler with four smaller boilers that produce hot water close to where it is consumed. The hot water is used for the kitchen, washrooms and showers at the BUMAX factory in Åshammar.
“By installing smaller boilers close to where we use hot water, we avoid the need to pipe hot water long distances, which helps to reduce heat loss,” says Sjölund. “The new boilers save around 40 MWh of electricity per year compared with the old central boiler.”
