Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc.
Albany
Pursuing a Greener Tomorrow with On-site Energy Manager
Overview: The Paper Mills
Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. is a leading manufacturer of specialty paper products. It is a family-owned business that has operated in New York State since its inception in 1931. The company owns and operates a 272,000 square foot paper manufacturing facility in Cohoes, and a 365,000 square foot facility in nearby Waterford. The facilities share resources and operate as a common campus.
The manufacturing plants have equipment that includes pulpers, stock pumps, stock chests, additive mixing tanks, refiners, pumping systems, paper machines, and converting/packaging equipment.
Paper-making process support systems and equipment include vacuum pumps, compressed air, steam boilers, exhaust fans, makeup air units, raw water filtration, and waste-water treatment. There is also raw material storage.
Project at a Glance
Company Name: Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc.
Industry: Paper Manufacturing
Location: Albany County
Size: 637,000 sq ft Total
Recommitted to Energy Management
Mohawk Fine Papers has a history of implementing energy efficiency projects. It has participated in efficiency programs lead by NYSERDA, National Grid, and New York Power Authority (NYPA).
However, dwindling resources and less time and attention paid to its internal energy initiatives, has resulted in a declining focus on energy saving. The Covid-19 pandemic further negatively impacted operational efficiency and staffing.
The NYSERDA On-site Energy Manager (OsEM) program was seen as a way to re-establish a commitment to energy efficiency. So, in January 2022, Mohawk began a two-year engagement with KO Technical Services with a few goals in mind:
- Identify areas for energy-related change and improvement.
- Develop the internal energy management processes used to track and evaluate energy optimization efforts alongside other business investment opportunities.
- Develop and sustain energy efficiency improvements and practices.
During the two-year OsEM engagement, Mohawk established Energy Saving Targets for the combined New York mills of 5% for electricity and 5% for fossil fuels, from pre-Covid baselines.
Two-Year Engagement Results
A dandy roll, which is a watermarking device used in machine papermaking.
The engagement produced significant benefits for Mohawk, including 41 total Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) identified:
- 21 Operations & Maintenance (O&M) ECMs, including compressed air leak repairs, steam trap repairs, and boiler tuning.
- 20 Capital Expenditure (CapEx) improvements. Traditional measures included LED lighting and variable speed drives. Other measures that reduce process energy intensity of kWh/ton and MMBtu/ton paper produced included heat recovery, dryer upgrades, and refiner upgrades.
- 19 ECMs have been implemented to date that are a mix of O&M and CapEx improvements, exceeding the natural gas savings goal.
Identified projects have 5.5% savings over electric pre-COVID baseline and 10% over natural gas pre-COVID baseline, exceeding the goals when implemented. Additionally, significant National Grid Custom Project energy incentives were secured during the engagement. They enabled Mohawk to proceed with implementing energy saving projects.
Sustainability & Continuous Improvement
Mohawk established continuous improvement practices, too. They included:
- A system for tracking and trending Process Energy Intensity
- Re-establishment of a Daily Energy Report, which provides a summary of paper making energy use
- Creation of an Energy Team, which enables Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering staff to be actively involved
- A Compressed Air Leak Team
- An internal Steam Trap Evaluation and Repair Program
- Participation in the National Grid SEMP (Strategic Energy Management Partnership), which provides additional energy management resources.
Looking Ahead
In recognition of the benefits of OsEM engagement, Mohawk Fine Papers is developing an internal Energy Manager position to further its energy saving initiatives.
Want to identify areas for improvement, increase your buildings energy efficiency, and lower operating costs?
Visit NYSERDA’s On-site Energy Manager program page or contact us at [email protected].