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Meeting Peak Season Demand with Rental Boiler Equipment

Tomato season is here, and we already have a 70,000 lb/hr, 400 psi design trailer-mounted rental boiler on location at one of our customer sites to support peak season steam demand. This boiler is rented annually in the Central Valley of California for three to four months during the tomato processor’s short but critical production season. To meet the requirement of 5 ppm NOx, the boiler is supplied with an ultra-low NOx CataStak SCR System. This solution allows the facility to operate their own boilers without overworking them, while complying with local air regulations and satisfying seasonal demand.

Some years ago, the company identified a bottleneck in its evaporation system that hindered peak production capacities. The bottleneck was easily resolved; however, it would take more steam to fully realize the increase in production. Although the existing boilers were capable of running the newly found evaporation capacity, the increased production required the existing boilers to operate at 100% output continuously, leaving no room for margin and no buffer against any process anomalies. After evaluating the cost of investing in a new boiler, the detrimental effects of operating the existing boilers at 100 percent output, and the process vulnerabilities of having no excess steam capacity, the decision was made to rent a supplementary steam boiler on an annual basis.  

Many industries face periods of increased process steam requirements and to satisfy demand, steam can be supplemented with a temporary rental boiler. This practical solution allows facilities to maximize the resources needed to meet current, short-term and long-term steam needs. A short-term or long-term rental solution can save time, conserve capital, minimize risk and maximize available resources.

Check out our past article from Today’s Boiler Magazine to learn more about how temporary boilers can support seasonal steam demand, and contact us today if a rental boiler may be the solution to your peak season needs!

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The Cost of Renting a Boiler

The rental boiler industry is unique and operates nowhere near the e-commerce business model; you may find it near impossible to find and compare pricing online. With that said, how can a user understand the potential cost of renting a boiler in the preliminary stages of their project, before they are ready to start reaching out and gathering information and pricing from vendors?

To get you started on the journey, these six major costs categories should be considered when looking at renting a boiler.

Equipment. Your process, as well as the steam capacity requirement, will often dictate which type of boiler is best fit for your operation. A watertube boiler, often best for larger capacity needs, will run at a higher cost than a firetube. If additional equipment is required like a deaerating boiler feedwater system, water softener, or SCR system for reduced emissions, additional costs will be realized.

You can save on costs if you are able to connect to existing auxiliaries, however, that is not always an option. A mobile boiler room, which includes a firetube boiler installed with a feedwater system, water softener, and blowdown separator, is a convenient option for customers needing an entire steam plant. Because it is a complete, pre-piped and wired system, the cost would be higher than that of a boiler-only option.

Freight. Often coordinated and re-billed by the rental boiler supplier, this will be a separate cost billed after each time the equipment moves (from the storage facility to your site, and then back to the storage facility). Costs will vary based on number of shipments required and how far the boiler must travel. Some companies, like Nationwide Boiler, have multiple maintenance yards to help facilitate quick and lower-cost shipments.
 
Installation. This is a piece of the process that is typically coordinated by the end-user and with a third-party supplier. Installation costs can vary greatly depending on the size of a project. The cost to install a mobile boiler room for a temporary project, as close as you can get to a “plug and play” system, would likely be much lower than the cost to install a large watertube boiler. Watertube boilers are more commonly installed in industrial applications along with economizers, SCR systems, and ductwork – heavy equipment that requires forklifts and/or cranes for installation.
 
Start-up. Most often, your rental boiler vendor will supply a technician for start-up with costs billed on a time and material basis. It’s important to ensure that the equipment is completely ready for start-up with all utilities piped and available, to reduce extra time costs. You will also want to consider any time required for site-specific safety training.
 
Utilities. Obviously, the utilities are the responsibility of the end-user, however, it is an expense that should not be overlooked. You will incur costs associated with the fuel, water, and electricity required to produce steam. Rental economizers and blowdown heat recovery systems can be utilized to help reduce these costs.
 
Water Treatment. This is an extremely important part of maintaining a rental boiler, and if not done properly can lead to extreme costs for equipment repairs. The cost of contracting with a water treatment supplier will be much less than what it would be to replace or repair damaged rental boiler equipment.
 

Ultimately, reaching out to your supplier of choice and obtaining a detailed proposal will be the best way to understand all costs involved with renting a temporary steam plant. Call or email your trusted Nationwide Boiler sales representative for a detailed cost proposal at 800-227-1966 or info@nationwideboiler.com.

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Free Webinar Alert: Optimizing Ethanol Plant Efficiency and Reliability

As part of their ongoing Webinar Series, Ethanol Producers Magazine has teamed up with Siemens and will be hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, July 24th at 2:00pm CDT. The webinar is titled, “Cogeneration for the Ethanol Industry: Optimizing Plant Efficiency and Reliability Through Innovative Solutions”.

This informative webinar will discuss the challenges of cogeneration within the ethanol industry, the benefits of collaborations through unique partnerships, and the technical solutions available. In addition, Siemens will address power reliability and resiliency, higher thermal efficiency, reduced emissions, reduced operational expenses, enhanced control, partnership opportunities, and the solutions that Siemens can provide.

With ethanol production taking place in over 123 countries, Siemens has provided and installed more than 198 steam turbines within the worldwide ethanol industry. Their customer-first focus strives to provide innovative answers to the ever-challenging customer needs.

Register today to take part in this webinar and learn about the many innovative solutions provided by the team at Siemens.
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Home of the Free, Because of the Brave

4th of July Boiler

Only July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence. Two days later, delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson, marking the birth of American Independence.

Take some time today to celebrate all that is great about America. And remember, as Albert Einstein once said, "Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom."

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