Maxsys Profile
Fuel System at heart of carbon cut
October 2008
Telford based Maxsys Ltd has made it possible for companies such as Findus and First Milk to cut fuel costs using its Fuel System, an established technology that produces a cleaner burn and reduces carbon emissions.
In 2003, after more than ten years of research into the effects of magnetic fields on fuel, Maxsys patented the Maxsys Fuel System and started full commercial roll out soon after. Now, five years later, the Fuel System is a well established technology that has allowed some of the UK's biggest food processing companies to make real energy savings.
The Maxsys Fuel System works by applying a finely calibrated magnetic field to the fuel (oil or gas) in a combustion system (industrial boilers, ovens, dryers, kilns and furnaces). The magnetic field aggregates nanoparticles in the fuel, which has two beneficial effects: preventing fouling of the burner exchange surface and enhancing combustion, creating a hotter flame. These two effects combined lead to a much more efficient use of fuel. Additionally, the Fuel System has no moving parts and an electrical supply is not required, making it an extremely low maintenance investment.
The impact of rising energy prices means that businesses need to be pro-active about energy management. The Maxsys Fuel System typically provides fuel savings of at least 5%, which means that plant managers in the food and drink sector are turning to the system to help solve these energy challenges.
Paul Finnegan, Maxsys Commercial Director, comments: “In the food industry, a company cannot guarantee where it will be six or twelve months down the line. As a result, food companies very rarely undertake capital equipment expenditure unless they are sure that it will deliver payback within a short timescale. The fact that the Maxsys Fuel System delivers payback in less than 2 years is therefore an ideal solution to companies’ energy worries.”
As part of its ongoing expansion, Maxsys recently moved to a brand new headquarters in Telford. This positions the company at the heart of the West Midlands industrial hotspot. Its new location is adjacent to Ironbridge, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. It is perhaps fitting that, in the twenty-first century, Telford should be the home of carbon reduction rather than further pollution.
Not only has the Maxsys Fuel System helped companies to cut fuel costs, it also provides a timely solution to meeting carbon-reduction targets. The UK food and drink sector accounts for roughly 7 million tonnes of carbon per year. As a result of the Defra’s Food Industry Sustainability Strategy, the sector is under ever-increasing pressure to improve its environmental performance. Food processing companies are also keen to qualify for the Climate Change Levy discount, which means there is a sector-wide desire to reduce CO2 emissions. More efficient use of energy, through the implementation of technologies like Maxsys Fuel System, is a simple way to achieve this.
Findus, a major manufacturer of frozen foods, has installed the Maxsys Fuel System at its Tyne and Wear plant. The busy plant uses three boilers fuelled by natural gas. Until recently, annual consumption stood at approximately 2.4 million cubic metres. However, trials and calculations conducted before and after the installation of the Fuel System concluded that the plant has experienced a 6.6% reduction in gas consumption. Findus has been able to achieve payback within an impressively brief 12 months. Kevin Prior from Findus comments: “Maxsys proved excellent throughout the entire project, from the initial concept stage right through to the installation, which was completed ahead of schedule.”
Another business that has successfully adopted the Maxsys Fuel System is the First Milk Cheese Company. First Milk fitted the Fuel System to the three oil fired steam-raising boilers at its creamery in Haverfordwest. To check on the progress of the system, First Milk gathered fuel meter readings three times a day. Average oil consumption of the boilers was identified as 7.5% lower than predicted when the Fuel System was installed. As the UK’s largest dairy farming co-operative, the cost savings for First Milk were substantial. Not only that, but the system paid back in less than a year.
Both companies mentioned achieved even greater fuel savings than was originally anticipated. Furthermore, the payback periods were impressively brief, making the Maxsys Fuel System a low-risk option for an industry that is under increasing pressure to reduce costs and carbon emissions simultaneously.
This article was published in the Food Processing Magazine, October 2008, p36.
