Switching to natural gas: the experience of the Novartis Centre de Recherche Santé Animale
Since its construction in the 1960s, the Novartis Centre de Recherche Santé Animale (CRA) site in Saint Aubin, Switzerland, has used fuel oil to heat and produce steam. In 2005, CRA decided to explore the possibility to connect the center to natural gas.
Two oil tanks needed renovation, and the cost of this repair was substantial. At the same time, one of the three heating boilers was showing worrying signs of wear. Following financial calculations and an environmental impact assessment, the decision was taken to switch the fuel from oil to natural gas in all three heating boilers. An analysis of the energy consumption and output showed that the best solution would be to replace the “sick” boiler with a condensation boiler. In the remaining two boilers, the oil burners were replaced with gas burners.
Furthermore, the supplier of natural gas agreed to build several kilometers of pipe at its own cost to connect the center.
The best solution to reduce fuel costs was to opt for an interruptible supply contract. The oil burners were thus left as back ups to guarantee the center could operate even in case of a breakdown in gas supply.
Since November 2006, CRA is heated by natural gas. The connecting of the new gas pipe to the center and the commissioning of the five boilers went smoothly.
In just seven months, this investment has enabled to optimize costs, improve energy efficiency by 10%, reduce CO2 emissions by 30% and lower maintenance costs. This progress will be reflected in the site's 2007 Health, Safety and Environmental reporting.
The work done by the team in CRA is a great example showing leadership and commitment to the purpose of safety and environment.