20 year anniversary of Mobile Boilers!
In 1986 Peter Baldwin pioneered the concept of offering fully mobile hire boilers in trailers. This concept proved highly successful and as such has been often copied by others. The following is an extract from a recent interview with Peter Baldwin about Byworth''s hire services:
Q Back in the 80’s what inspired the concept of putting industrial boilers “on wheels”?
A Boiler Hire had been around for some time but always involved static boilers which are craned into position then piped up to ancillaries and services and finally sheeted with tarpaulins from the weather. The installation was time consuming and cost companies a lot of down time if it was a breakdown situation. By installing the boiler plus connected oil and feedwater tanks into a fully secure and weatherproof trailer, we could deliver and connect to site services in one day. For emergency situations this was a god send to many companies.
Q Why and when do companies need to hire?
A The mobile hire boiler concept arose from the need to tackle emergency situations where perhaps the site boiler needs structural repair, often as a result of poor water treatment, or a disaster such as a factory fire. However nowadays there are many situations where a hire boiler is ideal.
- Special projects such as R&D. One leading manufacturer of process machinery that runs on steam hires in a steam boiler to test the machines.
- A boiler replacement program is another example – during the building of an energy centre at a South Yorkshire hospital an integral part of the project is the hire of three 6000kgs/hr steam boilers to keep services running whilst the old coal fired boilers are removed and replaced by new boilers.
- A need for extra seasonal capacity such as salad growers may be another reason to hire.
- Increasingly common is boiler hire when the existing boiler is the wrong size. Many process plants have old boilers which are now too big for the demand. With the price of fuel today it is very expensive to keep these running, it can prove far cheaper to hire in a boiler of the correct output. The reduction in fuel costs could more than outweigh the cost of the hire boiler.
Q How long can you rent a boiler?
A Well anything from the minimum 2 week period to indefinite rental. There are 2 hangars at the UK’s largest airport that have had rental high pressure hot water boilers now for 10 years.
Q What is the advantage of rental over purchasing?
A For many reasons not all businesses have the budget for capital expenditure so boiler rental can be a very cost effective means of having steam or hot water on site with no worries about service and maintenance.
Q What plant can be hired?
A There are broadly 2 types of industrial boiler, hot water and steam. Hot water rental boilers may be used for heating purposes only or have the facility to produce clean hot water for washing purposes. Steam boilers range from 500kgs/hr up to 16000kgs/hr and with multi boiler installations available no demand is too big. For example an oil refinery during a planned maintenance program could require up to 100,000kgs/hr of steam.
Q What format options are available?
A Without doubt, the most versatile hire boilers are trailerised and containerised units which can be quickly transported and installed on site. By contract, with our R & D facility Byworth can also produce bespoke plant to suit a special project or a customer’s particular application. For example, we have worked with a pipe lining company to develop a self drive lorry mounted boiler which has helped revolutionise the pipe lining industry. Now pipes can be lined from one chosen point, which saves digging up the whole street.
Longer term rentals are increasingly being satisfied by self contained boiler houses. This is a purpose built boiler house fully installed with a boiler and all ancillary services and can be supplied flat roofed or in a modular building with pitched roof. For larger contracts which demand more than 1 boiler, modular buildings can be constructed on site around skid mounted plant.
Q What’s new?
A The next big change will be fuel. With gas and oil prices increasing dramatically alternative fuels will have to be used eventually. Hiring boiler plant to run on an alternative fuel takes away the risk element and allows flexibility later to change fuel.
Q What financial developments have there been?
A An operating lease will bridge the gap between hiring and purchasing. Brand new bespoke plant can be leased over a term and includes the worry free back up of a servicing package. All this without capital outlay. This concept is now well accepted by the manufacturing industry sector as the way forward, easing cash flow worries and providing flexibility and peace of mind.