Role of Natural Gas in Food Processing Plants: Present and Future. Final Report,June 1989-November 1990

摘要

Natural gas use for manufacturing in the United States is concentrated in arelatively small group of industries. Of the six industries (2-digit SIC codes) which account for 85% of total industrial natural gas consumption, the food industry (SIC20) is the fourth largest user, consuming approximately 460 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually or 8.5% of total industrial gas use. The diversity of the food industry can make it difficult to characterize its natural gas use. The industry includes 47 different types of food producers (4-digit SIC codes). In addition, it is an industry primarily composed of small and medium-sized manufacturers--over 95% of food manufacturing facilities employ fewer than 500 people. The goals of this examination have been to provide a realistic assessment of current energy use, particularly natural gas, in the many food industry segments and to identify areas of opportunity and risk for gas-based technologies.