SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS THANKS TO UNICONFORT BOILER

Tabacchi Processo
Tabacchi Città Castello

Substantial savings and the start of a local wood-energy chain

Savings equal to 220 thousand euro per year for each installed boiler and the start of a local wood-energy chain to produce woodchip able to fuel the boiler, as well as a positive economic impact on local farmers. This is the result of the ‘green’ choice by Fattoria Autonoma Tabacchi from Città di Castello (Pg), which decided to invest in solid biomass systems, fuelled by woodchip derived from processing waste but also from the virtuous management of local forests. The two boilers have been installed in two of the 18 drying plants owned by the cooperative, in Badia San Cassiano (Pg) and Mercatale di Cortona (Ar) covering the entire heating needs of the firm.

THE FIRM

The Fattoria Autonoma Tabacchi produces over 5 million Kilos of tobacco per year, placing among the best tobacco firms in Italy and the world. Besides cultivation, it also deals with the first tobacco processing, through 18 drying centres in the whole Valtiberina. Just these processes require a big amount of energy, whose very high costs reduce competitiveness.

CHEAP FUEL AND GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES

Thanks to the new Uniconfort boiler, compared to the 65 cents spent for a kilo of tobacco with the old drying and curing systems, they spend 15 cents with the woodchip now. If you consider that they process about 450 tons of tobacco per year, the lowest expense is about 220 thousand euro/year for each system. The use of renewable sources gives access to white certificates provided for by the Feed-in tariff, leading to reduce the investment payback period to 3 years.

THE SYSTEM

EOS model boilers have a heat capacity potential equal to 2,3 million of Kcal/h, namely 2.674 KW for water production up to 109°C at the maximum operating pressure of 2 bar. The two systems, designed and installed by Uniconfort in just two months and a half, are able to burn different types of fuels with different degrees of humidity, offering always the same performance: forestry by-products, waste from agricultural production and materials deriving from the virtuous management of forests. This flexibility let you buy the cheapest fuels in the market at that time, with savings amounting to about 20%, contributing to the development of a local chain for fuel production, a manna from heaven for the 500 Fat members who find, this way, a profitable market for production waste that previously had to be disposed for a fee.

EASY MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION

The boiler is self-cleaning, allowing you to save money on staff cost. The operation programming is mechanized and is carried out by means of an easy-to-use test board. The management of the entire system can be controlled remotely, even with a smartphone, using a software, which is always connected with the machine.

PLANT SPECIFICATION

  • Boiler: 2 Eos 220 in Badia di San Cassiano and 2 Eos 200 in Mercatale
  • Heat capacity: 2.3 million kcal/h - 2.674 kW
  • Production: water 109°
  • Operating pressure: 2 bar
  • fuel: short supply chain woodchip

PLANT SAVINGS

  • White Certi cates: given for ve years
  • Payback period:three years
  • Savings on fuel: 220.000 euro/year

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