Caterpillar
At a Glance
Industry
Industrial Goods and Manufacturing
Project Type
Clean and Renewable Energy
Year
2012
Location
Peoria, IL
Net Present Value:
$1,500,000
Annual CO2 Reductions:
12,000 metric tons
Summary
Gaurang Sethi evaluated supply-side energy efficiency opportunities at Caterpillar.
Goals
Gaurang Sethi was asked to evaluate supply-side energy efficiency opportunities at Caterpillar, a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel electric locomotives.
Solutions
Sethi’s project modeled operational improvements to optimize economic and environmental performance of a tri-generation natural gas power plant Caterpillar recently acquired. The plant supplies electricity, steam and chilled water to Caterpillar’s facilities in Mossville, Ill. The model, which utilized hourly data from the previous year, confirmed opportunities to improve inefficiencies in operations and economic dispatch. The analyses further confirmed that by installing a new steam condenser and rebuilding an existing steam turbine, Caterpillar could capture more thermal energy from the plant's exhaust stream.
Potential Impact
By running in an economically efficient manner the plant is expected to save, at a minimum, nearly $400,000 per year, provide a project IRR of 32 percent, an NPV of $1.5 million, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 12,000 metric tons per year.