Saving 247,800 PLN Annually in a Glassworks
We optimized cooling cycles and changed the gas supplier. The advisory investment paid for itself in 3 months.
The Szkło-Pol glassworks near Sandomierz struggled with a drastic increase in gas bills, which jumped by 42% in 2023. Małopolska Grupa Doradcza entered the plant to calculate real energy consumption on every production line and find where money was escaping through the chimney.
The challenge
The main problem was outdated glass cooling cycles, which lasted 14 minutes too long relative to technological standards. Every hour of kiln operation at full load generated a cost of 1,420 PLN, and the lack of precise monitoring meant machines worked at full power even during short technical downtimes. Additionally, the gas supplier contract was based on an unfavorable W-7 tariff, which for the glassworks' volume meant overpaying by 19% relative to market rates available for large consumers.
Our approach
Our team, led by Marek Jaworski, spent 3 business days directly on the production floor. We analyzed the history of 423 invoices and conducted a technical audit of three cooling lines. Instead of theoretical calculations, we performed load tests on the night shift, checking how shortening the cooling time by every minute affected stress in the glass. We also checked the transmission contracts, looking for hidden charges for contracted power that the plant never used.
The solution
We shortened the cooling cycle by exactly 8.4 minutes for every batch of goods, which did not affect product quality but drastically lowered fuel consumption. We negotiated a new contract with the gas supplier, changing the tariff to W-8 and locking in a trade margin 14.2% lower than before. We implemented a simple utility consumption reporting system for shift managers, which allows reacting to anomalies within 45 minutes, not after receiving the bill at the end of the month.
Results
Thanks to the implemented changes, the glassworks recovered financial liquidity and avoided the planned redundancy of 12 employees. Operating costs fell enough that the company could finance the purchase of a new forming machine from its own funds, without taking another working capital loan.
Timeline
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March 2024Technical audit and analysis of 423 utility invoices
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April 2024Negotiation of new gas tariff and changing kiln parameters
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May 2024Glass strength tests under shortened cooling
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June 2024Monitoring system implementation and final project settlement
"I always thought advisors were just theorists and fluff. Małopolska Grupa Doradcza pointed out exactly where electricity and gas were escaping on the floor. These are facts on the table that saved our budget."