History

With over 20 years of company growth and developing successful business relationships, we are often asked about the background and history of ESI.

The ESI of today has evolved to be known as the SPECIAL FORCES of the steam and power industry providing clients with innovative and cost effective solutions to their project opportunities.

1978
ESI began in 1978 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a vision to primarily perform the conversion of industrial clients from firing gas and oil to coal.

1980-1989
In the early 80’s, the dramatic difference in energy fuel costs between gas/oil and coal provided a substantial economic driving force for these conversion projects. In the mid 80’s, the drop in gas/oil prices and more stringent environmental regulations essentially ended the coal conversion business.

In 1984, we relocated our offices to Atlanta for strategic growth reasons.

Through the 80’s, ESI transitioned our business to performing gas/oil, wood waste, plant waste, and other alternative fuel projects. Our primary business evolved into performing major modifications to existing wood-fired boilers. During that time, most operating wood-fired boilers had been installed over the previous three decades by companies in the forest product industry. These boilers were actually coal-fired designs and subsequently, were very inefficient in burning wood waste. In the 80’s, clients began focusing on taking advantage of the energy value of this waste wood, as well as responding to increasing environmental pressures to operate with reduced emissions.

ESI performed several wood-fired boiler enhancement projects by adding water-cooled surface, installing complete new front walls, designing and installing state-of-the-technology fuel feed and overfire air systems, water-cooled stokers, etc. These modifications improved combustion efficiency, increased steam capacity, and eliminated emission problems that allowed these customers to delay installing new boiler capacity and other environmental equipment projects. We were successful in making wood-fired power boilers track plant process load swings, thus eliminating the requirement to combination fire gas and oil with wood waste.

In the late 80’s, ESI purchased the license to the Bahco bark drying technology, which complemented other technologies to improve wood-fired boiler operations. We actively began performing projects in the pulp and paper industry, which included handling and disposal of paper mill sludge. ESI’s broad handling experience with difficult materials, such as waste wood, paper mill sludge, and other plant waste materials, has been a fundamental capability that has brought clients to ESI to apply that expertise in specialized applications.

1990-1999
In the 90’s, ESI was involved in several projects that represented both first-of-a-kind applications and emerging commercial technologies. These projects included:

• A paper mill sludge conversion facility that receives, handles, dries, and converts 1300 tons per day of 60% moisture content paper mill sludge into steam, power, and a glass aggregate product for commercial sale. For additional information about this facility, visit our newsletter archives on-line (Summer 1998 issue, article titled “Paper Mill Sludge – The Ultimate Recycling Challenge”).
• A carbon burn-out facility that reduces the high carbon content of utility fly ash caused by low NOx burner conversion while simultaneously recovering the energy into the utility boiler heater cycle. For additional information about this facility, visit our newsletter archives on-line (Fall 1999 issue, article titled “Case Study Carbon Burn-Out Plant For South Carolina Electric & Gas”).
• The recommissioning and retrofit of a chemical recovery boiler with an open bottom bubbling fluid bed technology to increase steam capacity while simultaneously burning paper mill sludge, wood waste, and tire-derived fuel.
• A power boiler retrofit to process and burn 3% solids paper mill sludge in suspension along with conventional fossil fuels.

We have many fond memories of our company history, but probably none better than the opportunity to develop many close business and personal relationships with our customer representatives. We truly owe our success to your faith in our abilities, the opportunity you have given us to serve you, and your unending support. Thanks to all of you from all of us at ESI. We look forward to writing more chapters in our company’s history.