South Africa is one of the 30 driest countries in the world, with an annual rainfall of less than 450mm, well below the world averge of around 860mm annually. As we begin to feel more of the effects of climate change, we can expect to endure more extreme weather conditions, including the possibility of more frequent droughts that last longer.
AESSEAL’s strategy for water efficiency works exceptionally well within the pulp and paper industrys drive to reduce energy costs. This has successfully been achieved when AESSEAL installed 9 mechanical seals with SW02 water management systems on a mill in KZN.
These systems were installed due to excessive water usage through gland packing and gland service water. An excess of 8l of water per minute, or 3 916 800 million litres per 340 days of gland service water was measured per pump. This was a major waste of water and use of energy through evaporation. Since date of installations of the seal systems, AESSEAL has successfully managed to save the customer 33,4 million litres of water, and R546 294.00 in water and energy costs across 9 pumps. This has also created a cost efective solution as opposed to upgrading the plant with a new evapotator at approximately R20 million, as seen in the above picture.
Water and Energy Savings
| Pump No.: | Operating Months | Operating Cost per Year | Upgrade Cost | Savings to date incl. upgrade cost | m³ Water per year | m³ Water saved to date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP0006 | 8.5 | R 102,458.00 | R 39,998.00 | R44,242.50 | 3,916 | 2,774 |
| SP0017 | 8.5 | R 83,852.37 | R 36,450.00 | R33,576.68 | 2,937 | 2,080 |
| SP040 | 14.5 | R 105,651.00 | R 39,998.00 | R79,330.71 | 5,875 | 7,099 |
| SP042 | 14.5 | R 102,458.00 | R 30,256.00 | R87,244.08 | 3,916 | 4,732 |
| SP041 | 14.5 | R 102,458.00 | R 30,256.00 | R87,244.08 | 3,916 | 4,732 |
| CP73 | 8.5 | R 130,367.30 | R 36,450.00 | R66,524.75 | 5,386 | 3,815 |
| CP60 | 14.5 | R 83,852.00 | R 36,450.00 | R57,277.42 | 2,937 | 3,549 |
| CP72 | 14.5 | R 83,852.00 | R 36,450.00 | R57,277.42 | 2,937 | 3,549 |
| CP109 | 8.5 | R 83,852.00 | R 36,450.00 | R33,576.42 | 2,937 | 2,080 |
| R 878,800.67 | R546,294.06 | 34,757 | 34,410 |
Given the fragile water situation in South Africa, all companies should embrace water efficiency both as an essential component of their risk management strategy and as a contribution towards ensuring the sustainability of our country. Using water efficiently can help organisations meet their energy efficiency. It is an integral part of running a responsible and sustainable business.
Just look at Paper Companies websites related to Sustainability Reports. Without exception they ALL have a robust water consumption policy.