The industrial sector is clearly in need of improvement when it comes to waste and inefficiency. It is imperative that companies closely monitor all variables in their production process. Control and measurement in industries is essential for making decisions based on concrete and reliable data.
Energy is one of the variables with the greatest impact in this type of industry. The demand for energy-sustainable solutions is high, but these require a high initial investment. Ultimately, however, they reduce costs in the long term.
Moda21
Moda21 was established in the late 1990s by a group of entrepreneurs in Póvoa de Lanhoso who were leaders in the textile sector. They had a clear vision: to become competitive in the global market. To achieve this, they joined forces and created a group of companies to serve the group. This included a dyeing factory, a knitting factory and a purchasing centre, among other joint projects.
In the 1990s, textile manufacturers were struggling to find dyeing service providers who could offer reasonable delivery times and competitive prices. At that time, the delivery time for an order was several weeks.
Moda21 was founded in June 2001. Its mission was clear: to serve the group and also provide dyeing services to other companies in the region. Today, the delivery time for an order is around one week, sometimes less.
The Moda21 challenge
The textile sector is characterised by constant dynamics, making it an industry that requires continuous adaptation.
At Moda21, the price of dyeing knitted fabrics is determined by the size of the order and the scale it generates. More metres are dyed when the knitted fabrics are finer, and consequently, production costs are higher.
Moda21 initially burned fuel oil to produce thermal energy. In 2006, it switched to natural gas and in 2021, to sustainable biomass.
The first measure adopted by Moda21 to save energy took place in 2008, with the installation of a cogeneration plant. This produced electricity and thermal energy from a 3200Kw natural gas engine. The steam from the combustion exhaust gases and hot water from the cooling of the engine’s internal circuits heated the water in the dyeing plant.
However, in 2022, the explosion in energy costs led to an increase in the cost of natural gas, which usually cost around €20/MWh and rose to €350/MWh, and electricity, which was around €50/MWh and rose to €600/MWh.
This increase had a strong impact on all energy-intensive companies, such as Moda21. Therefore, as energy is one of Moda21’s main expenses (energy, human resources and chemicals), this increase represents amounts that can exceed 25% of its turnover.
The solution found was to invest around €2 million in the creation of a biomass plant. However, Moda21 was faced with another issue: accounting for the profitability of the biomass plant.
Objectives
Moda21’s mission is clear: to meticulously monitor the quality of raw materials and assess their energy yield. Given that biomass is purchased by volume, regular weighing is essential. This allows for precise moisture content assessment and informed conclusions about energy yield. Additionally, it ensures accurate energy balance accounting within the scope of SGCIE, which defines energy accounting based on weight.
The solution
The solution found was to install a weighbridge to control the weight of the trucks transporting biomass.
Barcelbal’s choice
When the biomass plant project came up, Moda21 was already a Barcelbal customer. As such, it contacted Barcelbal again to be part of this new project.
The Moda21 Weighbridge
The Weighbridge at Moda21 has a robust metal and concrete structure firmly embedded in the ground. Measuring 18x3m and with a capacity of 60t, this advanced weighing equipment precisely controls the weight of various biomass transport vehicles.
Next to the Truck Weighbridge is a modern cabinet with a touch screen and printer. This gives drivers full autonomy during weighing, eliminating the need for an employee to go to the weighing platform. The equipment is safely stored inside the cabinet to prevent wear and tear caused by sun and rain.
Optimised processes with the Weighbridge
Barcelbal’s Weighbridge is a vital part of the energy cogeneration process at the Moda21 biomass plant. When a biomass transport truck arrives at Moda21, it drives directly to the weighing platform to identify itself and be weighed. The system then sends orders to the biomass plant to make the silo available by opening the entrance door. The lorry proceeds to the silo with the gate open, where it unloads the biomass. It then returns to the truck weighbridge to be tare-weighted. The system sends the weighing data and closes the silo gate.
Barcelbal’s weighbridge plays a key role in the biomass plant’s process. The weight of the biomass is recorded by the weighing equipment, allowing Moda21 to assess the specific weight of the biomass and its moisture content. This is reflected in the biomass’s yield.
Although Moda21 purchases biomass by the cubic metre, this measurement does not account for the energy produced. This depends on other factors, such as the moisture content of the biomass.
In turn, the more moisture the biomass contains, the heavier it will be and the more energy will be required to burn it.
The weighings collected at the weighbridge are recorded in the TruckinGest software and integrated into Moda21’s internal management software, which coordinates the opening and closing of the biomass plant gates. According to Mr Hernâni, the integration was quite simple.
Results
Currently, biomass plant management is carried out by silo. After the silo is emptied, Moda21 evaluates the steam production of that silo and its energy performance.
The weighbridge is enabling Moda21 to account for energy and measure the moisture and quality indices of the biomass by weight. By comparing the weight recorded on the weighbridge with the m3 of biomass ordered from the supplier, Moda21 also controls the product received from its supplier.
