Global fishing company Oceana Group has completed a boiler upgrade at its Laaiplek fishmeal plant, in the Western Cape, replacing end-of-life equipment with modern systems designed to increase efficiency, reliability and capacity.

Lucky Star Operations, a division of the Oceana Group, says the upgrade helps the company maximise steam output with minimal coal usage, creating a safer working environment for employees and ensuring that the coal handling, steam generation, exhaust gas extraction and ash handling processes align with international best practices.

“The previous boilers were single-pass systems, whereas the new boilers are three-pass systems. This means that heat from flue gases is transferred to the water three times, significantly improving efficiency compared with the older design,” Lucky Star operations director Olwethu Mlaza adds.

The upgraded boilers are equipped with combustion monitoring instrumentation to ensure optimal combustion conditions. Continuous monitoring and remote access capability enable operators to receive real-time support from the engineering team and management.

The new installation raises steam generation capacity to meet the drying process requirements of the fishmeal plant, while enabling turndown without efficiency losses.

Industrial boilers and energy systems solutions provider John Thompson designed and manufactured the new boilers, while energy and utility plant management specialist Associated Energy Services was responsible for the boiler management system, exhaust filtration systems, steam distribution lines, as well as the water treatment and coal and ash handling systems. South African civil construction company Marracon Civils completed the civil and structural loads.

Key Benefits

Owing to the system’s increased capacity, at least one boiler can remain on standby at any given time, Mlaza says.

This eliminates steam generation as a production constraint and allows for individual boilers to be taken offline for maintenance during the season without delaying production. This improves the plant’s reliability and flexibility.

Energy performance has also improved significantly. The plant previously produced about five tonnes of steam for every tonne of coal. The new system achieves 8.5 t to 9 t of steam per tonne of coal, delivering measurable energy savings and lowering operational costs, adds Mlaza.

The boiler upgrade has addressed both safety and environmental requirements.

Manual coal and ash handling processes exposed operators to dust and high-temperature conditions. The new system automates these processes, greatly reducing safety risks.

From an environmental perspective, the concrete underground coal storage bunker located within the boiler room prevents ground contamination, while the advanced combustion control systems ensure efficient burning, and the gas extraction system incorporates a two-stage filtration process to minimise particulate emissions.

The Laaiplek boiler upgrade forms part of Oceana Group’s broader investments in its West Coast operations, which also includes cannery upgrades and a new meat canning line. The facility was recently visited by Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Willie Aucamp during a review of industrial investment in the region.