Cat Powering Polish Dairy Producer

Polish dairy cooperative and the leading domestic producer of cottage cheese has selected Cat dealer Eneria Poland to expand the company’s cogeneration, combined heat and power (CHP) capabilities.

OSM Piątnica has added 2 MW of power and 2 MW of heat supplied by a new Cat G3516H gas generator set with integrated CHP technologies at its production plant in Podlaskie Voivodeship, northeast Poland. This most recent installation supplements an existing 2 MW cogeneration system originally installed in May 2012 by Eneria and Caterpillar. In addition to providing the dairy cooperative with energy autonomy, the system supplies up to 30% of the process steam required for the production of high-quality pasteurized milk, cheese, butter and yogurt.

Eneria integrated the new cogeneration capabilities with the existing system, including sound attenuation technologies needed to minimize the impact on dozens of residents in homes located just a few meters from the plant.  Additionally, Eneria Poland provides ongoing service and maintenance for the system through a multi-year Customer Value Agreement.

“Over the past 70 years, OSM Piątnica has built a reputation in Poland and throughout Europe for innovative products, sustainable business practices, and exceptional quality,” said Stanisław Soliński, vice president of OSM Piątnica. “This efficient cogeneration system helps support our plans for growth by supplying added power and heat for our rapidly expanding production lines while helping to minimize the impact of our operations on the environment as well as on our neighbors.”

Caterpillar said facilities can reduce operating costs by implementing a Cat cogeneration combined heat and power (CHP) system or a trigeneration system incorporating cooling. This enables the units to simultaneously provide power for electrical loads as well as thermal energy for a facility’s heat and cooling requirements.  Any Cat natural gas-fueled engine can be configured specifically to support facility processes or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements.

While the combination of grid power and traditional boilers for thermal energy offers less than 50% energy efficiency, CHP systems from Caterpillar can provide total energy efficiencies of up to 90% or more. This allows the customer to save on energy spending, provide autonomy of supply and reduce emissions.

“OSM Piątnica is recognized around the world not only for the quality of its dairy products, but also for its progressive approach to doing business,” said Sven Buehler, territory manager for gas product sales at Caterpillar. “Advanced cogeneration technologies from Eneria and Caterpillar will provide the energy independence and process heat needed to help OSM Piątnica continue innovating as the company grows.”