Bausch + Lomb

Background information

Bausch + Lomb is a global manufacturer of medical devices and pharmaceutical products. Bausch + Lomb Waterford, located in the IDA Industrial Estate, Waterford, is a medical device manufacturer producing contact lenses for the global market.

The facility now produces over one million contact lenses per day and employs 1,250 people at its 44 acre site.

A state-of-the-art Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant has recently been installed and commissioned at this facility.

What is CHP?

CHP, also known as " Co-Generation", is the simultaneous production of electricity and heat, usually in the form of hot water or steam from a primary fuel such as natural gas  (see figure 1) . Electricity is generated on site by using natural gas to drive an alternator connected to the engine.

Applications of CHP

The heat from exhaust fumes generated by the engine is harvested to provide heating and hot water to the hotel and leisure centre, while some of the energy within the hot water can also be used to provide cooling and air conditioning by using absorption.

Upgrading for efficiencies

Having previous experience with CHP the team at the Kilkenny Ormonde hotel invested in a new unit which was specifically tailored to their requirements across the hotel and leisure centre. This upgraded unit would ensure longer up times and better financial savings based on data they had accumulated over 16 years. The unit was supplied within a containerised package and placed on the roof to reduce noise. The CHP unit satisfies 65% of the total heat demands and 40% of the total electrical demands.

Why CHP?

Due to potential inefficiencies in electricity generation and the resulting cost of electricity from energy suppliers, significant savings can be made by generating electricity to meet requirements on your own site. The financial benefits of onsite electricity generation (using natural gas to power the electricity generator) are evident by comparing daytime electricity prices in Ireland of circa 12.34/kWh with market natural gas prices of 4.08 cent/kWh (SEAI, April 2016 including VAT and relevant taxes).