BOISE, Idaho — Simplot’s commitment to energy efficiency was front and center as Idaho Governor Brad Little announced the recipients of the 2022 Idaho Awards for Leadership in Energy Efficiency.
At the event, Simplot and its Smoky Canyon Mine in eastern Idaho were honored with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency. Smoky Canyon is a surface phosphate mine providing a critical resource for the manufacture of fertilizers.
This award honors a single facility/organization that demonstrates a commitment to energy efficiency through its efforts to significantly reduce its energy consumption. Others were also honored with awards in two categories: buildings and industry. These awards acknowledged achievements in supporting energy conservation and implementing energy efficiency measures within facilities in Idaho.
Together, Simplot and the other honored businesses and universities saved 9,723,600 kilowatt-hours (kWhs) of energy in their facilities in 2021, resulting in over $600,000 savings in 2022.
Simplot received its award in recognition of a project focused on reducing the electrical demand of the boiler that serves as the main heat source for the Smoky Canyon shop, offices, and mill. The project optimized the ventilation and heating system by making efficiency improvements to the open-air roof vents and exhaust fans in the mill and maintenance shop areas. Additionally, steam lines and steam traps were repaired or replaced as necessary to optimize the transfer of steam to the forced air steam heaters.
As a result of this project and the capital investment, the electrical energy required to operate the boiler was reduced by approximately 2.5 million kilowatt-hours annually, saving about $86,000 the first year. Simplot partnered with Lower Valley Energy, Smoky’s electric utility, and Bonneville Power’s Energy Smart Industrial Program to help identify, study, and fund the project, which resulted in a simple payback of less than one year.
The efforts at Smoky Canyon align with Simplot’s company-wide sustainability goals, 4Sight2030, which pledge to reduce energy, water, carbon, and waste across all manufacturing facilities by year 2030. In addition, the Smoky Canyon Mine launched a site-specific comprehensive energy program empowering all employees to pursue energy efficiency measures. Area-specific teams have been commissioned and chartered with the goal of improving efficiencies and operations in pursuit of the 4Sight2030 goals.
Find additional information on Simplot’s 4Sight 2030 Goals here.
The J.R. Simplot Company is a family-owned, privately held global food and agriculture company headquartered in Boise, Idaho. Its integrated portfolio includes food processing and food brands, phosphate mining, fertilizer manufacturing, farming, ranching and cattle production, and other enterprises related to agriculture. Simplot has major operations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, and China, with products and services available to customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.simplot.com.
