WASHINGTON, DC – Representing important technology transfer from Department of Energy (DOE) labs to the marketplace, DOE today announced the successful one-year operation of the first generation “Super Boiler,” which can deliver 94 percent thermal efficiency, while producing fewer emissions than conventional boiler technologies.  By 2020, this technology could save more than 185 trillion British Thermal Units (Btus) of energy – equivalent to the natural gas consumed by more than two million households.  The United States’ Industrial sector accounts for over 32% of the nation’s energy use and new technology used in this Super Boiler represents great potential for energy savings.  The one-year anniversary of the operation of this Super Boiler was celebrated today at Specification Rubber Products, Inc. in Alabaster, Alabama, where the boiler resides.

“The ‘Super Boiler’ will help save energy, increase efficiency, and improve environmental performance throughout the U.S. manufacturing sector,” U.S. DOE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy John Mizroch said.  “Its success is advancing President’s Bush plan to increase the use of cleaner, more efficient energy technologies that will reduce our nation’s reliance on foreign sources of energy.”

DOE’s Industrial Technologies Program has supported the development of the Super Boiler since research and development began in 2000.  Since then, DOE has provided $4.2 million in funding to support this project.  The Super Boiler was developed by the Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, Illinois, and the one-year operation of this Super Boiler is a major step toward transforming the energy efficiency of industrial steam generation.  Additional tests are planned at Clement Pappas & Co. (Ontario, CA) and Third Dimension Inc. (West Jordan, UT).  Boilers produce steam for a wide variety of industrial applications and steam generation consumes approximately one-third of the energy used in manufacturing.

Specification Rubber Products, Inc., a subsidiary of American Cast Iron Pipe Company, manufactures rubber parts for the water works industry.  In July 2006, the Gas Technology Institute and Cleaver-Brooks installed a 300-horsepower, high-pressure steam Super Boiler which has been running 24 hours a day, five days a week with promising results.  After more than 6,000 hours of operation, fuel to steam efficiency has been consistently in the 93-94% range and annual gas savings have averaged nearly 13%.

The Super Boiler is the culmination of DOE-sponsored research and development by the Gas Technology Institute (Des Plaines, IL) and its partner, Cleaver-Brooks, Inc. (Milwaukee, WI).  This work has also been supported by Utilization Technology Development (Des Plaines, IL), the Southern California Gas Company (Los Angeles, CA), the South Coast Air Quality Management District (Diamond Bar, CA), the California Energy Commission (Sacramento, CA) and the California Air Resources Board (Sacramento, CA).

As part of the Administration’s continued efforts to increase energy efficiency, DOE regularly works with manufacturers through its Save Energy Now assessments, where energy-saving experts – provided by DOE – assess, analyze and identify energy-saving opportunities at some of our nation’s most energy-intensive facilities.  Since 2005, DOE has conducted more than 300 industrial energy assessments and identified $645 million in potential energy savings.  For more information on Save Energy Now or to apply for an industrial energy assessment, visit Save Energy Now.

Learn more about DOE’s Industrial Technologies Program.

Media contact(s):
Christina Kielich, (202) 586-5806