One relatively new business area for El‑Björn is the supply of equipment for permanent installations. Temporary power, lighting and climate equipment has proved to be a valuable alternative to permanent installations where the flexibility of standardized solutions and a wide product range offer cost-effective solutions. We visited Yara’s plant in Köping to find out what benefits El‑Björn’s products offer them.

Yara specializes in products and smart tools for precision farming, with the goal of increasing yields and improving product quality while also reducing environmental impact. Their mission is both simple and ambitious: To responsibly feed the world’s growing population and protect our planet at the same time. Yara is a worldwide company that employs more than 16,000 people and has operations in over 60 countries, including a plant in Köping.

“Some areas of the plant have a very harsh environment that makes big demands on the equipment we install,” says Mikael Larsson, electrical maintenance supervisor at Yara in Köping. “The atmosphere is both salty and humid, which is quite a challenging combination.”

The plant in Köping mainly produces nitric acid and is one of the five largest producers in the world. This is not the usual environment or workplace where we expect to find El‑Björn’s products, but the range and versatility of our equipment have proved to be an ideal match for Yara’s challenges.

“In fact they use most of the products we offer,” says Thomas Palmqvist, district manager for El‑Björn in the Mälardalen and Södra Norrland markets. “These include heaters, dehumidifiers and lighting, as well as customized socket centres with three-phase outlets that can withstand this environment.”

A growing number of “permanent” industries – in contrast to temporary construction sites – are discovering the benefits and value of temporary power, lighting and climate equipment that they can choose to buy or rent. Large production plants frequently require temporary power sockets or heating for a limited period of time. These may be needed during scheduled maintenance shutdowns, conversion projects or frequent variations in the nature of the work.

“We have been customizing our equipment for many years and we can often meet different requirements by combining existing products in new ways,” says Thomas. “What may be a custom product for the customer may be standard for us; the important thing is that because we are used to providing temporary solutions for a wide range of environments, we can help them find the right solution.”

All the products El‑Björn offers to the construction sector also meet the standards and quality requirements in areas such as industrial maintenance. The same equipment that is used to heat a building project can be used to heat tents for temporary storage, etc. As Thomas says: “It’s just a matter of using your imagination!”

“What’s more, we are a well-established company and promise professional assistance and reliability,” says Thomas. “Anyone who is unsure can also rent our equipment to evaluate it before deciding whether to make a purchase.”

At Yara in Köping, we spot El‑Björn’s products as soon as we pass the entrance gate, in the shape of lighting masts and industrial light fittings in the enormous warehouses at the plant. In this case Yara also took advantage of the opportunity to try out the equipment on site before making a decision.

“We borrowed a number of lighting units for trial installation and evaluation, which was very useful for making sure they worked the way we wanted,” says Mikael. “A purchase is a purchase, but equipment maintenance can get costly and we need light fittings that deliver lighting as promised.”

The 150 watt industrial light fittings they tested first turned out to be too bright; the truck drivers were simply dazzled. So they chose 90 watt units instead, which were just right. Having the right lighting is vital for Yara, and they have deliberately invested in LED lighting instead of more conventional options. Another important aspect is that the company applies entirely new standards today to ensure maximum safety.

“We naturally looked at several companies, but El‑Björn leads the way in LED light fittings,” says Mikael. “We have not had any faults with any fittings yet, despite having 40–50 floodlights ranging from 60 to 800 watts, as well as all the masts and stands. If we include the warehouse as well there are a further 100 or so LED light fittings!”

Yara also have storage facilities of up to 100 square metres that require background heating for storage, welders who work on contract, and other requirements. The special fans that El‑Björn developed to dry concrete in the construction industry work perfectly here, providing a flexible and cost-effective solution in an older existing building.

For a plant like Yara’s, which requires heating and dehumidification, Mikael also believes that maintenance needs are reduced by using El‑Björn’s products. He compares them with permanent radiators, which are usually not durable enough, are far too expensive and use too much energy, while El‑Björn’s equipment is designed for temporary use and can be used to heat everything from small spaces to large areas in the most energy-efficient way. As a result, El‑Björn offers a very “lean” way of working, with a standardized product range and well-established routines.

“It’s easy to incorporate El‑Björn’s products in our electrical system, as they are compatible with our cable systems and the like,” says Mikael. “This makes things much simpler, so it’s relatively easy to install a light fitting for example, and we don’t waste man hours or materials.”

Mikael and Thomas agree that it is the combination of application knowledge and product knowledge that leads to the best solutions. They know how things should work and have had many creative discussions. For example, some metals just cannot be used in Yara’s plant, such as brass, even inside appliances. This is an area where Mikael stresses the value of knowing what everything is made of, and he praises the way that Thomas and El‑Björn understand their needs.

“With the socket centres, the benefit is that we get rid of the existing outdated centres that are expensive to repair and upgrade to the current standards and regulations, which is important to us in our business,” explains Mikael. “In their place we get an affordable product that is suitable for use in our environment, with well-known brands like Schneider and ABB, and we can keep a stock of all the spare parts and only need to replace the part that breaks.”

Mikael adds that they are happy to help El‑Björn with their product development because it will ultimately lead to better products for Yara as well. For his part, Thomas frequently thinks about the electrical challenges that Mikael has to face and then he addresses these problems.

“Yara has a similar if not tougher environment than the offshore industry, but on the other hand, what works here works everywhere,” concludes Thomas. “That feedback is invaluable to us!”