Heat Recovery Retrofit Delivers Exceptional ROI and Sustainability Benefits

In alignment with its commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability, Crown BevCan España has
successfully implemented a heat recovery retrofit on three large vacuum pumps at its Sevilla plant.
Despite the complexity and cost of the upgrade, the system achieved full return on investment in just
15 months – significantly ahead of projections.

In 2020, Crown BevCan España installed three Pneumofore UV50 VS90 vacuum pumps – air-cooled
units selected specifically for their suitability to the Spanish climate. These 3 pumps with total 270
kW installed power replaced 5 screw pumps with total 375 kW nominal power, reducing the nominal
installed power by 28%. While this standard setup met the target of reduced electric power
consumption, the company’s evolving sustainability objectives soon brought even better energy
efficiency to the forefront.
Vacuum pumps and air compressors inherently dissipate most of their absorbed electrical energy as
heat – a principle rooted in thermodynamics and fluid dynamics. While compressors typically
generate more heat due to higher power consumption, vacuum pumps still represent a substantial
opportunity for energy recovery. The retrofitting of existing vacuum systems to enable heat recovery
thus offers a high-impact, cost-effective sustainability upgrade.
Recent years have seen a notable shift in can plant management, with increased presence of
Sustainability Managers and engineering graduates trained in environmental efficiency. These
professionals actively assess baseline consumption and identify opportunities for improvement
based on metrics such as energy savings, emissions reduction, and return on investment (ROI) of
new equipment or retrofitting, as shown here.
In this project, the retrofit was designed to recover waste heat by upgrading from the original oil/air
cooling configuration to a combined oil/air and oil/water cooling system. The heat exchanger
operated under the following conditions: incoming water at 26°C and outgoing water at 41°C. All
retrofit kits were prepared by Pneumofore in advance and shipped ahead of the scheduled
technician visit to minimize downtime and ensure seamless installation.
Installed in 2022, the retrofit included a comprehensive set of safety features to handle
contingencies such as power failure, cooling water interruption, and system overheating. Despite the
complexity, all three UV50 units – just two years old at the time – were retrofitted successfully, one at
a time.
Initial ROI estimates suggested a two-year payback period, accounting for equipment, labour, and
installation costs. However, post-installation evaluations conducted by the customer revealed that
the investment was recouped in just 15 months – exceeding all expectations. The recovered thermal
energy, generated through continuous 24/7 operation, provided measurable and ongoing cost
savings while improving overall plant efficiency.
This successful retrofit demonstrates not only the technical feasibility of integrating heat recovery
into existing vacuum systems but also its strong financial viability. With hundreds of UV50 units in
service at two-piece can manufacturing facilities worldwide, Pneumofore continues to lead the
industry in durable, energy-efficient vacuum solutions. Many new installations now include heat
recovery from the outset, but this case exemplifies the effectiveness of retrofitting as a pathway to
immediate environmental and economic gains.