Customer Testimonials

– stories from our customers

”At Höganäs, we are continuously striving to reduce our energy consumption and climate footprint. Our investment in the Enairon Gravity Compressor marks a significant step forward in meeting our needs for compressed air. With high energy efficiency, it will not only lower costs but also enhance sustainability. Additionally, its quiet operation will improve our workspace. We look forward to installing the Gravity Compressor on our site.”

Magnus Pettersson, PhD
Energy Coordinator at Höganäs AB

Södra Cell initiated a study to evaluate the entire compressed air system approximately two years ago. The goal was to enhance overall efficiency and explore energy-efficient solutions available on the market. During the study, discussions with Enairon began. We visited Stora
Enso in Hyltebruk, where we observed the core technology operating in an industrial environment. After comparing various compressed air solutions, it became evident that investing in the Enairon Gravity Compressor was the most economically beneficial choice.

We have power meters and flow meters installed after each compressor, allowing us to calculate the isothermal energy efficiency of each unit. On average, the efficiency across all three compressors was measured at 46.8%. We currently are using oilfree screw compressors from Atlas Copco.

While the decision was primarily economically driven, we see several additional benefits with the Gravity Compressor. One key advantage is the delivery of clean, 100% oil-free air. Although we currently use oil-free screw compressors, there is still a risk of oil contamination. With the Gravity Compressor, this risk is completely eliminated. Another important factor is noise reduction. Our internal regulations state that machines exceeding 80 dB should not be placed in environments where people work for extended periods. Additionally, we are committed to minimizing noise impact on our neighbours, and the Gravity Compressor will help reduce our overall noise profile. The cooler air output from the Gravity Compressor is another significant benefit. Lower air temperatures reduce the energy consumption of our dryers. For example, I recently learned that reducing the inlet air temperature from 40°C to 30°C for an airflow of 5,000 m³/h can lower power consumption from 60 kW to 28 kW. This represents substantial energy savings, further improving the overall energy efficiency and payback time of our investment. At Södra, we are focused on reducing overall energy consumption, and investing in energy-efficient machines aligns with this goal.

While economic factors are central to our decision-making, energy efficiency is an independent but complementary objective. Finally, the Gravity Compressor requires less maintenance and has a long projected lifespan, primarily due to its low rotational speed. Additionally, since the machine can be placed outdoors, we can free up valuable indoor space.

Södra Cell has several cooling water systems, and for the Gravity Compressor, we will use chemically purified water from one of our existing cooling water networks. Our facility operates multiple cooling water systems, and we actively reuse the heat generated by our machines in various processes.

For the Gravity Compressor, we plan to repurpose the heated cooling water after it has absorbed energy from the compression process. One of the key advantages we recently realized is that 90% of the supplied energy is transferred to the cooling water, compared to only 50% in our current system. This allows us to utilize the recovered energy more efficiently in downstream processes, ultimately contributing to hot water generation.

Additionally, some processes at our site require cooling water that is not too cold. Here, we see an ideal opportunity to integrate the Gravity Compressor’s cooling water, reusing it in applications where slightly warmer cooling water is beneficial. This further optimizes our overall energy use and enhances system efficiency.

Our partners

– A part of Enairon

Our partner network thrives on a dynamic blend of individuals and organizations who share our belief in the potential of Enairon’s technology. We have carefully selected our partners based on their expertise, experience, and alignment with our long-term aspirations. With their help, we not only secure the necessary financial resources but also gain access to invaluable industry insights, guidance, and networks.

The technological development at Enairon takes place in collaboration with researchers at Chalmers University of Technology. Magnus Karlsteen, Associate Professor in Physics, is one of the researchers driving the research and testing the performance of the technology.