(The following story by Tess Hill appeared on the Cumberland Times-News website on December 6.)
CUMBERLAND, Md. — Keeping employees at a comfortable temperature in a cement building with nine different doors opening multiple times a day to bring in metal popsicles is no easy — or cheap — task. But CSX is paving the way for efficient and environmentally friendly heating.
Once heated with natural gas, Cumberland’s CSX locomotive repair shop is now being heated with waste oil taken from locomotives. The building’s floor space alone is 210,000 square feet, but with the high ceilings, the furnaces work to keep 9,450,000 cubic feet of total space between 55 and 65 degrees.
In 2003, a program was started at the CSX headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla., that engaged the entire corporation in finding a new heating technique using waste oil.
“We were pulling out 18,000 gallons of waste oil each week and the company wanted to find a way to capture that and make use of it,” said Bob Sullivan, CSX spokesman. “Before we recycled it, we would have to pay someone to take and dispose of the unusable oil or, if someone thought the condition of the oil was good enough to resell, then they would pay you a minimal amount to take it away.”
That same year a program was started at the CSX headquarters in Jacksonville. Through this program, Cumberland’s branch was able to convert one of the large natural gas heaters into an air rotation unit.
“Piping was put in to capture the waste oil,” Sullivan said. “The useable oil is separated in the Roundhouse before being pumped to the heaters.”
In 2004, the company created small heaters specifically designed for the purpose of using waste oil for heating and four were installed in the Cumberland branch.
Then, in 2005, a new system was built to separate the waste oil. The system was installed in the Roundhouse, a building where work similar to the locomotive repair shop but without the lifting is done.
Over the years, 11 small units have been placed in Cumberland’s facilities, with 77 small units across all CSX locations. Conversion of two of the three large heating systems resulted in air rotation units, both housed in the locomotive repair shop.
“The (large heaters) work a bit differently than the smaller units,” said Don McCleaf, facility maintenance manager. “This unit takes the cold air off the floor and releases hot air out the top. We also heat the oil to about 204 degrees before it goes into the furnace.”
When first converted, the large furnace had to be cleaned at least once a week, sometimes every four to five days, and took 32 man hours to complete the task. But after years of tweaking, the furnace now is cleaned every 45 days and only takes eight man hours to clean.
“The systems have very sophisticated controls,” McCleaf said. “They have an alarm system and shut-off valve so it will shut itself off if there is a problem so there isn’t any fuel spillage.”
CSX continues to work to refine the systems in order to get them to burn as efficiently as possible. Currently, eight other CSX facilities have waste oil heating systems; four of those shops have some type of large air rotation units. These systems have already proven to be a good investment.
“In 2007, we saved $600,000 using this method versus burning natural gas,” said John Felten, plant manager. “And a lot of this is thanks to Don. He helped us keep focused on this project; when it was in its beginning stages, he really was the driving force to work out all of the bugs.”
But McCleaf’s involvement didn’t end there. He also participates in energy calls with the other facilities with waste oil heating units.
“Every month Don has an energy call with other CSX employees with these heating units,” Sullivan said. “This call focuses on energy issues. They are able to pick each other’s brains and share information.”
CSX has become one of the green leaders in the industry.
“We are working to reduce our carbon footprint,” Sullivan said. “The railroad industry has a history for being big and dirty. (CSX) is trying to be leaders in terms of environment and the green/nonpolluting movement.”