Client
Ondupet (Part of CL Grupo Industrial)
Scope
Reduction of electricity consumption for compressed air by optimizing the produced flow and matching to real demand.
Ondupet, a recycled PET packaging plant within CL Grupo Industrial, depends largely on compressed air to keep its extrusion and thermoforming lines running. With electricity prices climbing and no clear view of the air demand, the energy team identified an opportunity for efficiency: to monitor how compressed air was being generated and used to identify possible savings.
Following from the wider collaboration of CL Grupo Industrial and Spacewell Energy, Ondupet combined a smarter compressor setup with data-driven monitoring with ou software to align air production with actual needs, reducing waste an obtaining recurring energy savings.
The Starting Point: Understanding Energy Consumption at the Packaging Plant
The production of compressed air at Ondupet was powered by a fixed‑speed 90 kW compressor, running alongside other compressors in the central compressor room. The team’s main concern was the high electricity consumption of compressed air generation, especially given that one fixed‑flow compressor spent long periods in unload while still consuming energy.
At the same time, the real hourly demand for compressed air across the plant was not known to the detail, it was only estimated to be lower than the combined capacity of all compressors. To obtain real and reliable date, Ondupet installed flow and electrical energy meters at the outlet of the primary distribution manifold feeding the plant.
The objective of the efficiency plan was clear: reduce electricity consumption for compressed air by at least 35% by optimizing the produced flow and matching it to real demand. Any solution had to deliver robust savings in a 24/7 environment, with minimal disruption to production and with results that could be externally verified and certified.
The objective of the efficiency plan was clear: reduce electricity consumption for compressed air by at least 35%
The Success Story of Ondupet: Spacewell Energy to Monitor Compressed Air Efficiency Improvements
To address these challenges, Ondupet and Spacewell Energy combined a targeted equipment upgrade with a measurement and verification approach focused on real plant demand. The project focused on:
- replacing the existing 90 kW fixed‑speed compressor with a 90 kW variable speed drive (VSD) unit
- building a reliable energy baseline for compressed air generation tied to production in extrusion and thermoforming
To read all the details and how the energy savings were achieved, download the case study using the form below.
