Zakrzewscy Controls Energy Costs With Cat® Power System
The family-run, Zakrzewscy Meat Processing Plant was established in 1994. Based in Kosów Lacki in Mazovian Voivodeship province, 120 kilometers northeast of Warsaw, the company runs a modern plant where quality meat production practices are combined with advanced technologies to make it one of Poland’s leading meat producers.
At the end of 2018 and early 2019, many factors signaled significant increases in electricity prices on the Polish energy market. Despite reports of possible remedial action intervention by the government to help businesses offset higher electricity costs, this was a clear signal to industry that it was time to diversify their sources of energy.
The main activities at the Zakrzewscy Meat Processing Plant include the processing of animal meat to produce quality meat sides, quarters, and meat portions as well as skins for resale.
The plant combines quality meat production practices with advanced technologies.
Design adaptations were necessary to ensure the system operates safely and efficiently with prevailing conditions at the plant.
The system installed at the plant was one of the first gas-fueled CHP units in Poland to reach more than 17,000 hours on liquified natural gas.
Cat® dealer Eneria came to Zakrzewscy’s assistance, offering the highly efficient Cat CG170-12 generator set and a combined heat and power (CHP) system fueled with liquified natural gas (LNG).
Whilst the power provided by the installation is applied to the many mechanical processes around the plant, the heat recovered from the engine and the exhaust are used to produce hot water for both sterilizing and production purposes. Any residual heat is also sent to a thermal storage tank, enabling the Cat generator set to continue to operate at full load even during a low demand period.
In addition, the installation not only enables the Zakrzewscy’s to maintain consistent production costs, but also sees their plant capable of operating in island mode in the event of a grid power outage.
In the final analysis, plant director Wladyslawa Grabska says the inherent advantages of CHP—cost savings and energy efficiency—along with the support of its local Cat dealer helps keep the Zakrzewscy Meat Processing Plant competitive with other international players in the meat processing industry.
