What to replace natural gas with

Although the need to move away from fossil fuels, especially with regard to the environment, has been talked about for several years, it was only the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, with the threat of an absolute suspension of the supply of the always available gas and unpredictable price rises, that made us think seriously about alternative energy sources, with the need for an immediate response.

Nature offers us the opportunity to use, for example, the potential of biomass and solar energy, and together with the flexibility of thermo-oil technology, bakery ovens and bakeries can be heated completely without the use of traditional energy sources. The dramatic rise in gas and electricity prices has turned the bakery's normal cash flow into a nightmare from which we unfortunately cannot wake up but must learn to live in temporarily. Although the situation in black scenarios seems currently unsolvable, it is necessary to change the way of thinking about traditional bakery production methods, as well as on the maximum possible use of waste energy in bakeries, which Kornfeil has long experience with.

The variety of oven technologies across bakeries is very wide, their sizes and technological processes vary widely, so it is impossible to provide a simple guide to solving the energy and economic crisis.

However, the common denominator is the need to reduce energy costs with the possibility of full independence from natural gas or the comprehensive use of waste energy in bakeries, which will bring savings in natural gas consumption.

Below I would like to present the possibilities of alternative energy sources in baking, the use of which in production is significantly supported by European Union subsidy programs, which can include the renovation of baking ovens, photovoltaic power plants and biomass combustion.

Thermo-oil flexibility

Thermo-oil as a heat transfer medium offers the flexibility to use other energy sources, the installation of which usually takes place outside the production area of the bakery and does not disrupt the production itself for a longer period of time. Although the most important factor when looking for alternative heating is the quick economic return, by moving away from fossil fuels to biomass combustion or the use of solar energy, along with maximizing the use of waste energy, you will make a significant contribution to much needed environmental protection. You will also ensure complete or partial independence from the currently politically exposed natural gas

BioTherm – the thermo-oil boiler that saves your costs and nature

The BioTherm thermo-oil boiler uses wood chips and pellets as its heat energy source. Compared to natural gas, this fuel is a more economical and environmentally friendly source of energy. It is a fully automatic boiler which, in combination with the Ekoblok, meets all applicable EU environmental standards. The BioTherm thermo-oil boiler connects to an existing thermo-oil boiler system, but it is necessary to build a fuel storage tank, whether it is wood chips in bulk or in silos as well as pellets.

Wood chips – the cheapest fuel for baking

Wood chips are the cheapest fuel for heating thermo-oil boilers, with prices around 450 CZK/1 MW. Chips in 1 kg contain 2.8 kW of energy at up to 30% moisture to achieve full boiler output but are more difficult to handle and store compared to pellets.

Pellets – a convenient energy source for BioTherm

Pellets are a more comfortable and convenient fuel in terms of storage and transport. In 1 kg of pellets we can find 4,8–5 kW of energy, but the price is currently increasing and ranges from 1,100–1,500 CZK / 1 MW.

Solar energy in bakeries

The use of solar energy makes sense for any size of bakery, electricity cannot be replaced. The energy obtained from photovoltaic panels can also be used for baking, but it must be said that the solutions presented below have their limitations and rules.

Again, solar energy can only be used in bakeries with thermo-oil ovens or, logically, electric ovens. It is necessary to fit a thermo-oil electric boiler with the appropriate capacity into the boiler room system and at the moment of its selection it is necessary to know what type of ovens it will be used for and, above all, when. Here we come across the traditional, i.e., night-time, method of baking already mentioned. Worldwide, however, we can see that, because of the use of solar energy, it is possible to plan production so that the greatest possible volume of production takes place during the day, i.e., at a time when energy is free. Daily production offers the possibility of distributing fresh bread several times a day, which is an interesting topic to consider in a situation of ever higher consumer demands.

In the case of a combination of a PV power station and a thermo-oil electric boiler, a conventional natural gas boiler remains in reserve for the winter period and when the sun is not shining.

Approximately 400 kW of heat output is required to produce 1,000 kg bread/hour, which includes energy consumption for rising and baking. However, the accumulation of energy in the oil during the daytime for overnight baking is problematic due to the large amount of energy required for baking. This problem can be solved by storing it in battery storage, which is an additional costly investment, but we expect that this will soon be supported by national or European subsidies. The installation of a PV power station brings the possibility of selling surplus energy back to the grid on a spot basis, which may have an interesting impact on the economic return on the whole investment.

It must be said that the alternatives described above represent financially and organizationally demanding investments. However, each change brings both negatives and positives, here representing the burden of independence from natural gas or long-term reduction of energy costs.

If you use cyclo-thermal or rotary ovens in your bakery, the only option is to change the burners to other fuels.

Weishaupt, whose products we have been installing in our ovens for a long time, offers combined natural gas and LTO burners for situations where the natural gas supply is interrupted or stopped. There are also LPG, LNG or biogas burners available, but for most of these fuels the price will probably follow the price of natural gas, which is currently changing dramatically.

Use of waste energy

Another topic to reduce energy costs is to maximize the use of waste energy from baking oven flue gases and steam extraction energy. Kornfeil has been involved in energy projects, including the installation of the well-known Ekobloks, for more than 20 years. During this time, we have gained a lot of experience and we can handle projects of a smaller but also larger nature. This year, we have introduced two new products that are used to recover waste energy. These make a fundamental improvement in the use of the condensation heat of the exhaust steam that exists in all bakeries, and that exists every day, every hour of baking. The steam is 10–12% of the so-called “waste steam”. In every kg of steam, we find practically 0.5 kW of energy.

To give a simple idea, this means that 100 kg of extraction steam can heat 1,000 l of hot water to a temperature of up to 60°C per hour. The energy obtained can be used to heat hot water for social purposes, feed water for steam boilers or crate washers. We have innovated the ExtraSteam and ExtraClean Ekoblok model ranges with the steam energy recovery technology, where there are two waste energy outputs: the first in the form of 60/80°C heating water as before and the second in the form of hot water heated in the range of 60–90°C according to the design requirements.

Similarly with the new product Deodorant, where the energy-deprived steam is no longer exhausted out of the bakery at all, the steam is cleaned of so-called “odors“, hence the chosen name Deodorant. The outlet humid air slightly humidifies the bakery environment, which contributes to a more pleasant environment and at the same time does not create a problematic vacuum in the bakery – a known negative phenomenon in winter, which is associated with cracking bread.

New products for processing waste heat from bakery ovens mean that the input energy for baking can be recovered up to 95%. Also, these products come with significant energy saving benefits in bakery operations. For more information, please visit www.kornfeildeo.com.

If you are interested in the described issues, please contact us. We are ready to help you implement a sustainable energy concept for your bakery.