IFFCO chooses cogeneration system from Centrica Business Solutions

Aug 17, 2021

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IFFCO, a leading multinational in the aseptic food packaging sector, has installed a new cogeneration system that has enabled it to cut energy costs by 30% at its site in Marcianise (Caserta), an industrial district of excellence for the Food & Beverage sector.

The company, which specialises in the production of vegetable creams for cooking, spraying and whipping aimed at both professionals and consumers, has opted for the innovative solution from Centrica Business Solutions, the Centrica Group’s division that caters for business customers in the global energy sector..

“We chose Centrica Business Solutions for its high level of expertise in the food sector,” explained Stefano Marasco, Operations and Supply Chain Director at IFFCO. “Moreover, our colleagues at the adjacent plant owned by Coca-Cola had already adopted the same system with excellent results in terms of technology and after-sales service.”

Established 25 years ago in Campania, Italy and now owned by a multinational company based in the United Arab Emirates, IFFCO operates an energy-intensive continuous-cycle factory extending over an approximately 40,000 square metre area, half of which is under cover. It employs 140 people over three shifts and uses steam at a pressure of 14 bar for product sterilisation.

Designed, built and commissioned by Centrica Business Solutions, the cogenerator was custom-made for the existing premises with an island configuration to ensure an uninterrupted service in the event of power line outages or problems.

The plant consists of a Rolls Royce-powered E1165 cogeneration unit with a nominal electrical output of 1,250 kWe capable of meeting approximately 70% of the site’s electricity needs.

A fume recovery boiler also produces saturated steam at a pressure of 14 bar, which is fed into the production plant for ultra-high temperature (UHT) sterilisation of products.

Centrica Business Solutions completed all the authorisation procedures on behalf of IFFCO, as well as the formalities relating to energy efficiency certificates, and offers a long-term, full-service, all-risk maintenance service, including periodic performance tests.

The new plant will enable the Marcianise-based company to save over 1,000 tons of CO₂ per year and cut finished product costs by between 5% and 7%, with a payback time of around two years. IFFCO also plans to evaluate the adoption of trigeneration and photovoltaic systems in addition to advanced, real-time monitoring of plant parameters.