Engineering News and Mining Weekly
Firm prioritises emissions reduction
P ‘ossibility in every drop’ is international leader in pumps solutions and water technologies Grundfos’ new brand signature, as it actively addresses critical issues related to water conservation and energy efficiency across a variety of sectors.
The company became one of the first to receive full validation on its 2050 net-zero target from climate action organisation, the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) in 2022.
Grundfos aims to accelerate its transformation to a net-zero future, while enabling energy saving, with the net-zero target requiring significant innovation efforts and decarbonisation efforts across the company’s operations and value chain.
The SBTi also approved of Grundfos’ nearterm carbon dioxide emission reduction targets, which are separated into three scopes.
Its plan to ‘Reduce absolute Scope 1’ targets direct emissions from company-owned and controlled resources, its Scope 2 ambitions relate to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 50% by 2030, targeting indirect emissions production that is the result of procuring energy from State-owned power utility Eskom. Finally, Scope 3 focuses on reducing indirect emissions occurring in the company’s value chain, with the company targeting a 25% reduction by 2050.
“As a leading pumps manufacturer and water solutions provider, we take responsibility for the carbon that is emitted, not only to produce our products but also the energy consumed when they are in use,” states Grundfos CEO Poul Due Jensen.
He explains that this reality creates a layer of complexity that many companies do not have when creating and tracking their emissions reduction targets. However, he adds that he is proud to see Grundfos lead the sector in the “brave pursuit” of a better world for people.
System Simplification
The company provides a range of intelligent, energy efficient pump motors for use within a variety of pumps and applications, and the integrated frequency converters in the motors help to ensure that the pump motors’ efficiency remains at an optimal level.
Grundfos sales engineer Grant Cannon explains that Grundfos’ MGE IE5 motors have a built-in frequency converter that ranges up to 26 kW. The intelligent motor is equipped with AUTOADAPT, meaning the pump will automatically adjust speed to get back to set point required when other parameters change in the system.
The MGE IE5 makes use of quality components as well as dedicated control software, optimising the motor’s efficiency, with losses over 30% lower than the IE3, and reducing energy consumption by 600 W for a 22 kW motor full load.
Grundfos offers a variety of speed-controlled pumps – referred to as E-pumps – all of which are equipped with the Grundfos MGE motors, and Cannon notes that integrating pumps into a system often results in a smaller footprint, as
well as reduces manufacturing costs and material input, as it is more compact than pump solutions with external frequency converters.
Additionally, the Grundfosvari ablefrequency drives allow more than just speed control, but also perform logic tasks and processes that would normally require a controller or programmable logic controller (PLC), enabling a degree of simplification within a system.
Incorporating MGE motors also provides additional features and advantages, such as the latest IE5 MGE Model K motors, which offer Bluetooth connection for direct setup from a cellphone through the Grundfos GO app, with Modbus RTU (remote terminal unit) and Ethernet IP built-in, enabling the end-user to connect directly to the PLC.
Reusing Process Water
An example of Grundfos’ major projects is its collaboration with Danish multinational brewer The Carlsberg Group, in which it is aiding in the company’s ambition to lower its average water consumption of around 3.4 ℓ of water per litre of beer, to below 1.7 ℓ per litre of beer, which would effectively halve its water consumption across the group by 2030.
Through a broad collaboration, the company has built an onsite wastewater treatment and purification plant at Carlsberg, in Frederica, called the Total Water Management (TWM) plant, that cleans the water to a potable quality application, ensuring the company can reuse the water again in the brewery for cleaning processes.
The TWM plant has a daily capacity for 2 000 m3 of incoming process water, of which 90%, or 1 800 m3, is recovered and recycled.
The brewery relies on the process water to operate, so pump and system reliability are vital. Additionally turnkey wastewater treatment plant provider Pantarein Water appreciated the complete dosing solution from Grundfos.
This resulted in the outcome of 90% of process water being reused after treatment, water savings of 560 000 m3 a year and proven technology ready to be scaled-up in water-scarce regions.