Boise Inc. Saves $1 Million After Save Energy Now Assessment

June 13, 2008 -- Proactive energy management policies and energy efficiency efforts to improve process, thermal, and motor-driven systems were already in place at the Boise Inc. paper mill in St. Helens, Oregon, when it participated in a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Save Energy Now energy assessment. After implementing several assessment recommendations, the Boise Inc. St. Helens mill saved $1 million in energy costs and 154,000 MMBtu in natural gas with a simple payback of 1 month.

Energy Expert David Morgan of Akamai Energy LLC conducted the assessment using DOE’s Steam System Assessment Tool (SSAT). The software helped validate measures that the mill was already considering, such as lowering the oxygen content on three boiler stacks and recovering waste heat from the whitewater process. Using some of the insights gained from the assessment, mill personnel identified and implemented a project that significantly reduced energy use in the steam system.

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“Participating in the Save Energy Now assessment allowed us to evaluate energy savings opportunities in areas we had not previously considered,” said Pat Loupin, Technology Resources Manger for the Boise Inc. St. Helens mill. “It validated the merits of some potential projects we had previously identified, and provided access to some valuable software-based tools that were useful in evaluating energy improvements.”

Source: DOE