LITTLE CHUTE, WI, and TREVOSE, PA., Oct. 17, 2012 -- Nestlé USA’s Pizza Division factory in Little Chute, Wis., not only produces some of the best-selling frozen pizza brands in the U.S. -- DiGiorno®, Jack's®, California Pizza Kitchen® and Tombstone® -- it also produces outstanding results when it comes to water efficiency and related operational savings. The Little Chute plant has reduced its water usage by 7.4 million gallons per year by increasing the performance and efficiency of its cooling towers with help from GE’s (NYSE: GE) advanced water-treatment chemical technology.
As a result of these improvements, the facility has earned GE’s Return on Environment Award. The award recognizes a company for significantly surpassing and improving environmental and operational goals while balancing industrial demands.
Industrial cooling water must meet tight specifications, but Little Chute’s city water is challenging because of its hardness and alkalinity. Standard chemical treatments were unable to treat it adequately because high concentrations produced scaling in the cooling towers, which decreased cooling efficiency and required additional maintenance. Also, an older control system made consistent control of the cooling operation difficult, and it couldn’t be integrated with plant data systems.
GE provided its advanced GenGard* water-treatment chemistry with stress tolerant polymer (STP) and state-of-the-art TrueSense* controls for the plant’s four main ammonia condensers. These products provide precise control of cooling water and enable more cycles where the water-treatment chemicals are in the high concentrations needed for optimum results. As a result, the cooling water at Little Chute is reused to a much greater degree than before, saving 7.4 million gallons of water and reducing sewer discharges by the same amount. This translates into nearly $50,000 in cost savings from avoided water purchase costs and discharge fees.
“One of our sustainability goals here at Nestlé is to continuously improve water efficiency across our operations and reduce water withdrawals,” said Louis Miller, utilities supervisor at Nestlé Pizza Division Little Chute. “Improving the efficiency of the cooling towers is a big step towards achieving that goal.”
Kevin Cassidy, chemical and monitoring solutions general manager -- water and process technologies for GE Power & Water adds, “Nestlé USA’s commitment shows that, increasingly, what’s good for the environment also can be good for business. They’ve proven that being environmentally conscious can improve operating efficiency, conserve scarce natural resources and lead to improved capacity and healthier profit margins. Nestlé’s leadership has set an example for others to aspire to and follow.”
* Trademark of the General Electric Company, may be registered in one or more countries.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
About GE Power & Water
GE Power & Water provides customers with a broad array of power generation, energy delivery and water process technologies to solve their challenges locally. Power & Water works in all areas of the energy industry including renewable resources such as wind and solar; biogas and alternative fuels; and coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy. The business also develops advanced technologies to help solve the world’s most complex challenges related to water availability and quality. Numerous products are qualified under ecomagination, GE’s commitment to providing innovative solutions that maximize resources, drive efficiencies and help make the world work better. Power & Water’s seven business units include Aeroderivative Gas Turbines; Gas Engines; Nuclear Energy; Power Generation Services; Renewable Energy; Thermal Products and Water & Process Technologies. Headquartered in Schenectady, N.Y., Power & Water is GE’s largest industrial business.
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About Nestlé USA
Named one of “The World’s Most Admired Food Companies” in Fortune magazine for fifteen consecutive years, Nestlé provides quality brands and products that bring flavor to life every day. From nutritious meals with Lean Cuisine® to baking traditions with Nestlé® Toll House®, Nestlé USA makes delicious, convenient, and nutritious food and beverage products that make good living possible. That’s what “Nestlé. Good Food, Good Life” is all about. Nestlé USA, with 2011 sales of $10 billion, is part of Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland — the world’s largest food company with a commitment to Nutrition, Health & Wellness — with 2011 sales of $94 billion. For product news and information, visit Nestleusa.com or NestleNewsroom.com.
