A sustainability project at Simplot’s fertilizer plant in Helm, California is a great example of a single project solving two sustainability challenges: it’s saving money while helping Simplot achieve its 4Sight 2030 Goals for sustainability.
A Bright Future for Simplot’s Helm Plant
The Helm plant, strategically located in the agriculture-rich heart of the Central Valley of California, produces nitric acid, liquid ammonium nitrate, and a variety of downstream nitrogen fertilizers. Helm is also one of the first U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ENERGY STAR certified nitrogenous fertilizer plants in the U.S., so they’re not new to the energy efficiency game.
California, while beautiful and sunny, has some of the highest utility costs in the country. Electricity costs were continuing to rise every year, and Helm was looking for ways to manage those costs. One idea, a project to install solar panels at the plant, was approved.
This project was the first large-scale solar installation at a North American Simplot manufacturing facility. A total of 2,950 solar panels and six inverters were installed on the solar site footprint, which is approximately 4.5 acres.
This system produces approximately one-third of the plant’s annual electricity requirements, which is about 1.75 million kilowatt-hours, saving Simplot approximately $262,000 annually! And that’s not even factoring in the substantial federal tax credits
Helm is eligible for due to the system. Additionally, since the solar system began operating, the cost of electricity in the state has risen more than projected, providing an even better return on investment for the project than initially forecasted.
As seen at Helm, thinking sustainably provides a bright future – and present – indeed!
Learn more about Simplot Mining and Manufacturing here.
