Released on January 18, 2010

Jencast, South Coffeyville, Okla., recently received national recognition for achieving significant energy savings at its metalcasting facility.

Jencast, the ferrous metalcasting division of Jensen International, Coffeyville, Kan., began updating its coreless electric induction furnaces in 2009, and the upgrade recently helped the plant win a Save Energy Now Energy Champion Plant award from the U.S. Department of Energy. The award is given to companies that attain annual energy reductions of more than 250,000 million BTUs, or more than 15% total energy savings in plant operations.

“The upgrade involved installing a new cooling tower, new water piping, a new transformer and electric power lines and other modifications,” said metalcasting engineer Gerald Robertson.

Jencast was among 140 U.S. plants to receive the award from the Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) in the current cycle. Collectively, the 140 plants have saved 6.4 trillion BTUs in total energy and more than $47 million in energy costs.

“Our enhanced furnaces will enable us to save on energy and maintenance and to produce twice the number of castings we have in the past,” said Jencast President Eric Jensen.

Jencast is one of two manufacturing divisions of Jensen International. The metalcaster used a grant and loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, together with its own resources, to finance the transition of its two 3.5-ton/hour furnaces from single-phase melting to three-phase melting.

Save Energy Now is a national initiative to reduce industrial energy intensity by 25% or more in 10 years. To participate, Jencast completed a Save Energy Now energy assessment with ITP.