Efficiency and Fixed Cost Reduction in the Food Industry

The Challenge

In the food industry, uninterrupted energy supply is an operational necessity. At facilities like INTERMEAT S.A, where ultra-frozen products are produced, any power interruption could compromise quality, food safety, and traceability. INTERMEAT already had a solar self-consumption installation, but a key question remained:

‍How can we make the most of the solar energy generated when production doesn't always align with peak consumption times?

That's where we identified a strategic opportunity: to integrate an energy storage system that would increase autonomy, optimize the use of generated solar energy and reduce dependence on the grid.

During the initial project stages, we identified the main challenges to be solved:

• They needed more electrical power to incorporate new machinery, without increasing the contracted power.
• They wanted to lower their energy costs, especially fixed charges tied to contracted capacity.
• Solar surplus was being wasted during peak generation hours (which didn't always match the plant's energy needs).
• Continuity of power supply was critical for processes like ultra-freezing.
• They required a scalable solution, ready for future plant expansions.
• They aimed to comply with increasingly strict environmental regulations and strengthen their commitment to sustainability.

With these challenges in mind, we developed a customized, efficient and results-oriented solution.

The solution

Energy autonomy and operational cost savings

To address these needs, we implemented our BCube®system, with a capacity of 1,867 kWh and 368 kW of power. The system is designed to perform more than 500 charge and discharge cycles per year, ensuring intensive, efficient, and cost-effective use of the generated solar energy.

This project goes beyond a technical solution: it is a strategic tool for gaining energy efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability in critical industrial environments such as the food sector.