CR Plus

Swansea University acquired the services of CR Plus to begin by formulating a pragmatic, flexible and resilient strategy for the long term future of low carbon heat and power for their Singleton Campus.  

Aston University has extensive experience of applying Health & Safety within the academic environment however external support was needed here due to the complexity and size of the EBRI Pilot Plant. The work required experience of practical application of Health & Safety Standards within the industrial environment.

One of Europe’s largest nickel refineries, Vale in South Wales, achieves a 10% absolute energy reduction and 25% improvement in energy efficiency (GJ/tonne nickel produced) – equating to a 10,000 tonne carbon reduction between 2007 and 2012, with ongoing support continuing to the present day. CR Plus, via support first initiated from the Carbon Trust in Wales, have assisted the Refinery in areas including; Site wide energy audits, lighting, pellet plant process speed increase, alternative pellet process heating concepts (biomass thermal fluid) gas plant efficiency survey, steam audit and subsequent steam reduction work, specification and installation of an MM&T system, alternative energy strategic review of options, ESOS lead assessor sign off and assistance in funding support for large projects.

During 2010-2012, having initially undertaken a review of feasible Alternative Energy Options, CR Plus acted as principal contractor and owners engineer for Vale in organising and undertaking £2.5M of Front End Loading feasibility and design works (FEL 1, 2, 3) for an Advanced Energy Project at their existing site at the Clydach Nickel Refinery driven by the goal of producing energy (electricity and heat) for use within the existing processes to reduce OpEx and attain security of supply for the plant.

Engagement with Vallourec began in 1992 when the site was still British Steel owned prior to being predominantly owned by Vallourec. CR Plus have since provided many services, contuniung to this day. Achievements range from relocation and integration of one site into another, MM&T specification and ongoing support, process improvement both in tonnes per hour and kWh per tonne, water reduction, assistance towards certification to ISO 50001 and assessment of alternative energy.

Based on our experience within the heavy industrial sector we presented opportunities in a way that fit the group’s current capital situation and therefore allowed more attractive or strategically important projects to get better buy in – the impact of this can be so positive that at one of the sites a Variable Speed Drive application project was actively progressed during the survey.

Engagement with the Tafarnaubach site began in 2008 when the site was Corus owned prior to purchase by Tata. The site’s main manufacturing operation was painting and heat treatment of steel coil strip utilising mains gas for oven burners, RTO burner and steam generation for hot strip pre-treatment. CR Plus ultimately achieved savings including 60% reduction in site gas via identification, specification, project management and implementation & commissioning of 2 major projects; coating line turndown control and WHR from the RTO. 

For the CAPL line at the Trostre works in Llanelli, using our specialist cost reduction and engineering skills, CR Plus successfully designed and implemented a complex waste heat recovery system utilising waste heat from the furnaces (otherwise lost) combined with low grade heat from quench systems.

Using our specialist cost reduction and engineering skills, CR Plus successfully designed and implemented a cascade water system on a steel coil acid pickling line for the Trostre steel works in 2009.

Using our Energy & Environmental skills, CR Plus delivered an opportunities assessment with validation of applicability for renewable for this rural spring water bottling company in West Wales. Further more CR Plus undertook Carbon Foot printing to help demonstrate the success of new bottle forming lines installed and new renewable technologies reducing grid power.