General Mills World Headquarters Chiller Plant Electrical Engineering
Golden Valley, MinnesotaOperational efficiency, system wide growth and environmental stewardship are great reasons to focus attention and investment in thermal energy systems. General Mills operates a district energy system that supports its corporate campus with steam and chilled water.
Minnesota asked companies to stop using well water for comfort cooling, and General Mills responded by developing an energy efficient cooling plant. The addition of two new buildings provided the catalyst to shift General Mills from well-water cooling to an electric centrifugal chilled water plant using cooling towers. HGA provided the following services:
The new 3,600-ton chilled water plant and an accompanying 49,000 lb/hr steam plant serve more than a million square feet of offices and test kitchens at the GMI World Headquarters. A variable-flow, primary only pumping scheme enhances plant efficiency, while reliably serving the 7-building complex. The new boiler plant replaced aging boilers that had been derated from their original operating conditions, improving system efficiency and reliability.