Berco Improving Environmental Balance at Copparo Plant in Italy
Strategic Research Institute
Published on :
07 Oct, 2021, 5:41 am
ThyssenKrupp announced that leading manufacture and supply of drive systems and components for OEMs and the aftermarket Berco is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its production and has started an optimization process at its plant in Copparo in Italy in order to be able to meet sustainable environmental standards in the years to come. This project is being implemented using a three-year plan, as part of which Berco aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 2,500 tonnes per year and annual gas consumption by 13%. Various energy efficiency measures will lead to an estimated reduction in annual electricity consumption of around 3 million kW/h when the project is completed.
In the first step, the focus was on reducing the energy consumption of all machines in the production lines at the Copparo location. For this purpose, the actual usage of each machine and its relative performance were analyzed. Obsolete, very energy-intensive machines were shut down and, if necessary, replaced by new systems with lower consumption. A new, modular heating system will be put into operation in the coming winter. In order to reduce natural gas consumption in the entire Copparo complex, both in production and for heating (the heating is powered by gas and electricity), Berco decided to replace the central 20 MW thermal power station with a range of modern and decentralized thermal energy sources.
The generation and distribution of compressed air, which is required to a large extent in the various production phases, has always been particularly energy-intensive, measured in kW/h. In this case, too, the company relies on decentralization. The large-scale system with centralized compressors is replaced by several compressors that are relocated directly to the various production areas. Berco expects annual savings of around 2.5% compared to the average consumption of the last three years.
In addition, the decentralized supply of electrical energy enables better use of this, as the new system is tailored to the specific needs of the individual departments. The use of photovoltaic systems is also currently being examined. The various measures in connection with the generation and distribution of compressed air, the conversion of the cooling circuits and the optimization of the power distribution will lead to an estimated reduction in annual power consumption of around three million kW/h after the end of the project.
Berco is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of chassis systems for heavy machinery. The Italian company with over 100 years of experience develops tailor-made solutions for all types of crawler track machines weighing from 1 to 330 tonnes. Berco is one of the market leaders of components for compact crawler loaders and every fifth chain operated construction vehicle is equipped with Berco systems. In the aftermarket, Berco offers drive wheels, idlers, rollers, crawler chains, floor plates and chassis systems. The product portfolio is divided into three product lines: Platinum, Original and Service. Berco's main plant is located in Copparoin Italy, with four other plants in Italy, Brazil and the USA. Berco has been part of the thyssenkrupp group of companies since 1999 and has been part of the Forged Technologies business unit, the world's largest forging company, since 2018.