Previously, Cochran was using oil for space heating at its site in Newbie, Scotland, but switched to LNG to facilitate the development of a proposed R&D centre. LNG is now used for space heating at the boiler manufacturer’s site, as well as for powering the boilers to be tested at Cochran’s R&D facility.
Calor’s sister company, PrimaLNG, carried out the conversion process, which involved supplying a 20,000-litre LNG unit, supported by vaporisers that offer extra power when demand increases.
The conversion was completed in September 2016, following some civil works to accommodate the storage tank and adapting the site’s steam boiler to use LNG fuel. Cochran is now saving £12,000 a year as a result, as well as cutting CO2 emissions by 28 per cent.
David Branch, business development manager at Cochran, explains: “We had been looking for greener fuel alternatives for a long time before deciding on LNG. The majority of boilers we manufacture are fuelled by gas and, when considered alongside the environmental and cost advantages LNG has over oil, it made commercial sense for us to introduce LNG as our fuel partner of choice.
Kevin Houlden, business development manager at Calor, adds: “LNG is a highly efficient fuel with even greater calorific value than propane gas, offering an impressive output of 15.2 kWh per kg. LNG also emits up to a third less carbon dioxide than oil or diesel-based products, depending on the application.”
