Saarioinen invests in energy efficiency at Valkeakoski factory

The modernisation of the ventilation system will improve the energy efficiency of Saarioinen’s Valkeakoski factory and cool the conditions in the bakery department. Soon, less energy and sweat will be used in the production of your favourite pizzas.

How does it feel to bake pizzas for a living in the summer? From June, the Saarioinen pizzas familiar to all Finns will be made in more comfortable conditions as the energy renovation of the Valkeakoski factory is completed. At the same time, heating costs will be significantly reduced.

“It tends to get hot here in the summer. Temperatures can reach up to 30 degrees Celsius,” says Harri Merisalo, factory manager. “It’s not surprising when the furnaces are on 16 hours a day.”

The energy renovation that will start at the factory will include the addition of heat pump cooling radiators to the air conditioning system, which will help to reduce peak temperatures to lower levels than today.

“After the renovation, we will be able to keep the outside air cool, around 22-24 degrees Celsius, even during the hottest weather,” says Merisalo.

In addition to improved conditions, the energy renovation will save significant money and reduce the repair debt and carbon emissions of the 1980s factory. The Valkeakoski factory’s energy bill for heating will be reduced by almost a third. Depending on the development of district heat prices, the return on investment will be between 13% and 20%.

“It can be thought that a small part of the benefits of energy renovation are lost in cooling. However, it is of paramount importance for us to improve the conditions and well-being of our employees.”

Each step is more challenging than the last

Saarioinen’s Valkeakoski factory covers an area of approximately 21 000^m2 and was built in two phases. The bakery was completed in 1988 and the meat factory in 1995. The meat factory produces a variety of meat products, such as whole meat cuts. The bakery produces savoury snack products – pizzas, graham crackers and rice cakes. More than 12 million of the iconic 200-gram pizzas are made in Valkeakoski every year.

A total of about 220 Saarioinen employees work at the Valkeakoski factory.

The energy renovation in Valkeakoski this spring is not the first, and Saarioinen has been improving the energy efficiency of its factories over the long term.

The current energy renovation will modernise the ventilation in the bakery part of the Valkeakoski factory and use supply air heat pumps for cooling and heating the ventilation. In addition, the building will be connected to LeaseGreen’s remote optimisation service, which will ensure that the new technology works as intended and that the promised savings are realised.

The energy renovation of Saarioinen is being planned and implemented by LeaseGreen, Finland’s leading company specialising in energy efficiency and industrial process improvement for large buildings. Last year, LeaseGreen carried out an energy efficiency investment at Saarioinen’s Huittinen factory.

“My experience of Huittinen has been good. Therefore, it is natural and easy for us to continue our cooperation with LeaseGreen. In addition, their plans were convincing from the very beginning,” says Harri Merisalo, Plant Manager.

Merisalo, who previously worked as technical manager at Saarioinen, has been involved in many energy efficiency projects. He says that the first energy efficiency measures are always the most profitable and obvious ones.

“First, let’s get the raisins out of the bottle. Finding the next energy-saving targets is more difficult, and it’s getting more challenging all the time.”

However, Saariois and plant manager Merisalo already have ideas for the next steps to improve the energy efficiency of the Valkeakoski plant.

“Waste heat is still available for recovery. We were just wondering where we could use it.”

Thomas Luther, Managing Director of LeaseGreen, praises Saarioinen’s long-term work to improve energy efficiency.

“Saarioinen is doing valuable work. We are excited to be involved in thinking about and implementing new, smarter ways to improve energy efficiency in industry.”

“I believe that in the coming years, carbon footprint will become as commonplace as the fact that sausages are lactose-free. Consumers will then be able to choose in the shop whether to buy products that are produced locally and have a low carbon footprint. In such a situation, companies like Saarioinen are in a strong position.”

Further information

Factory Manager Harri Merisalo
Saarioinen Oy, Valkeakoski
+358 50 576 4664
harri.merisalo@saarioinen.fi

Thomas Luther, CEO
LeaseGreen
+358 40 534 4256
thomas.luther@leasegreen.com