Hurst Boiler | May 2, 2010
Hurst Boiler recently partnered with Hanesbrands' Dos Rios fabric textiles facility in the Dominican Republic, which is their largest energy-consuming facility, and began operating a state-of-the-art biomass system in January 2009.
It burns rice husks, coconut shells, sawdust, and wood chips – all of which are widely available locally as agricultural waste products – to heat water to produce nearly all of the steam required for the plant's bleaching, dyeing, and finishing operations.
The biomass system saves more than 8,000 gallons of oil per day, dramatically reducing CO2 emissions from steam generation.
In November 2009, Hanesbrands also signed a contract to purchase all of its electricity from the national hydroelectric generation company. Combined with the Hurst biomass system, this initiative will reduce the carbon footprint of Dos Rios Textiles by 95 percent, and to our knowledge give it the lowest carbon footprint of any industrial fabric textiles facility in the world.
Hanes is pursuing further improvements to the biomass system, which include using steam generated by the process to co-generate electricity for the facility's operation, and using the facility's land to grow non-invasive crops for bio-fuel. Dos Rios serves as a model for future efforts at Hanesbrands' facilities around the world. Hurst Boiler realizes many companies can use energy produced from renewable fuel sources to further reduce their environmental impact while significantly reducing energy costs.
We have proudly participated with Hanes in this significant renewable energy project. As one of North America's leading facilitators of Biomass equipment and technology, we at Hurst provide a unique platform to converge and share solutions on issues of environmental sustainability and energy reduction. Our efforts work to build lasting business relationships positively impacting both the environment and our clients' bottom line.