| Energy
Why LPG is in demand among Farmers
By Rob Shuttleworth, chief executive of UKLPG.
PG (liquefied petroleum gas)
suppliers are reporting a
significant increase in demand
for LPG from commercial users,
with agricultural businesses
being among a key growth
area. So, what is driving this increase in
demand and why now?
As one of the most energy-intensive sectors,
farming businesses are always looking for more
efficient practices to manage their increasing
energy requirements without eroding their profit
margins. Consequently, many are turning their
attentions towards the most viable off-grid fuel
sources to determine where savings can be
made, both in pounds and energy efficiencies.
LPG is almost tailor-made for the farming
sector, being ideally suited to a myriad of
applications in off-grid locations. From the
obvious uses such as heating poultry sheds,
nurseries, greenhouses and hot water to
eradicate contaminants in milking processing,
all the way through to powering irrigation
pumps, grinding mills and other farming
equipment, it is a highly flexible fuel source for
the sector. In short, it’s the right tool for many
jobs. Farming is perhaps one of the most
established sectors for LPG usage, so there is
also an increasingly effective group of
advocates who are shouting about the benefits
of this highly flexible fuel source.
In many farming applications, it is proving to
be more cost-effective as a high proportion of
its energy content is converted into heat and it
can be up to five times more efficient than
traditional fuels. It is also cleaner – producing
the least greenhouse gas emissions than any
other fossil fuel when measured on a total fuel
cycle.*
On top of these well-known benefits, there
are now other factors pushing LPG to the fore.
Following the implementation of the Energy
Related Products (ERP) Directive which aims to
reduce carbon emissions, oil is fast losing its
appeal as a long-term solution, as innovation in
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40 | Farming Monthly | July 2017
technology to ensure compliance with the
Directive is geared towards gas. Furthermore,
with growing constraints on the electricity grid
and renewables only offering interim supplies, it
is now recognised across the energy sector
that gas will be a key part of the future energy
mix.
As a convenient, low carbon fuel source with
the capability to deliver cost savings, as well as
enhanced production and energy efficiency to
farmers across the UK, it shouldn’t come as
any surprise that demand for LPG has
accelerated to an unprecedented level. Having
spent almost two decades in the LPG market, I
am proud to see LPG being recognised as an
increasingly significant part of the solution for
so many businesses.
On the Farm - LPG in Practice
Farmer gets into Hot Water
Home to an 180 strong prize-winning
Churchclara herd of pedigree British Friesians,
a large dairy farm needed gallons of hot water
to wash the 20-unit milking parlour daily, as well
as the impressive 11,500-litre milk storage tank
up to three times a week.
And on top of that, hot water is a must in
controlling the Total Bacteria Count – or TBC –
of the milk produced.
Typically, hot water accounts for around 30%
of our farmer’s energy bills, including the use of
electric heaters heating the water throughout
the day. Reducing this enormous cost was,
therefore, paramount to ensure the longevity of
his business.
A local independent gas installer
recommended an LPG-powered system.
Taking just one day to install, it was an easy
transition hooking up to the existing pipework.
As the installer explained: “The problem that
many dairy farmers have is that the truck which
comes to empty the milk storage tank every
couple of days can arrive at any time. Hot
water is needed straight away to do the wash.
It puts a lot of pressure on the current electric
immersion system. With the new LPG-powered
Rob Shuttleworth, chief
executive of UKLPG
system now on site, this is no longer an issue.”
Commenting on his new system, the farmer
said: “I now have instant hot water at whatever
temperature I need whenever I need it so hot
water storage costs are eliminated. I only pay
for what I use and the new cost is equivalent to
night-rate electricity, which is far cheaper than
before.”
Fuelling Grain Drying Season
With the short but intensive grain drying
season only lasting from August to October, it is
essential that agricultural merchants working
within the field have 100 per cent faith in the
reliability of their energy sources.
Unfortunately for one large agricultural
merchant, worries about rising costs,
decreases in production efficiencies and rising
emissions meant it fell short of such top marks.
That’s when the company decided to switch
from using diesel oil to LPG to fuel its grain
drying operations, which make up a significant
part of its business.
It’s not just a reliable source of energy that is
a must in the grain drying process; the
equipment must also be dependable to avoid
downtime, backlogs and those dreaded
financial losses. The LPG supplier proposed
the replacement of the existing two-stage oil
burner with a fully modulating Weishaupt WM
G20LPG burner, allowing for more precise
temperature control, increased efficiency and
reduced energy consumption.
Sizing and location of the tanks was also
critical. The solution - which was completed
within budget and on time - was to install three
four tonne LPG tanks which gave on-site
storage of around 25,000 litres.
A spokesman for the company said:
‘Everything worked well during the critical grain
drying season once we had moved over to LPG
and I was impressed with its cleanliness,
efficiency and responsiveness. I was also very
pleased with the cost savings that resulted
when we converted!’
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