That’s why we’ve been working directly with a number of industry sectors in a unique collaboration: the Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator. By bringing together key players in each sector, we’re driving innovation in process control and the uptake of low-carbon technologies to deliver a step-change reduction in emissions.
Aims and objectives
Industry is responsible for 25% of the UK’s total CO2 emissions. The Committee on Climate Change has suggested that with the right interventions, up to 4% of these emissions could be saved. At the Carbon Trust, our experience suggests that industry could go even further and make up to 20% energy savings.
To achieve this, we’ll be working with a diverse range of medium scale industry sectors.
For any organisation, energy savings equate to cost savings, so the benefits to business, industry sectors and the UK as a whole are manifold.
A 3-stage approach
The Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator works by first identifying, and then addressing the barriers to implementation of opportunities for emissions reduction in industrial processes.
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Examination of specific processes in depth to understand energy use and interfaces with other systems.
This involves collecting information from: process operators, equipment manufacturers and the actual equipment in use at a representative group of sites.
The opportunities we identify at this stage fall in to 3 themes:
- Product Strategy: Concerning the raw materials, product mix and the supply chain
- Processes: How processes configuration could be improved
- Equipment: Equipment upgrades or new technologies to replace existing items.
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Gathering evidence to support a business case for implementing energy-efficiency opportunities.
In this stage we fund projects to demonstrate and deploy innovative low carbon technologies in the areas identified in stage 1.
The aim of each project is to provide the evidence for the whole sector to implement changes.
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Promoting the uptake of our demonstrated solutions, in partnership with the relevant trade associations.
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Current Work
In 2008/09 we completed Stage 1 with three pilot industry sectors: Animal Feed Milling, Asphalt Manufacture and Plastic bottle Blow Moulding. In 2009/10, we’ll be taking these sectors on to Stages 2 and 3 and rolling out Stage 1 to a further 20 sectors.
Industry sectors we are currently working with:
Already working with your sector?
The Carbon Trust is looking for pioneering companies or consortia of organisations who are eager to undertake research or development work in specific areas we have identified as able to make a material reduction in industry emissions. Ultimately we want to prove the business case for the whole industry to implement improvements and make a step change reduction in carbon emissions.
Download information on the Accelerator here:
Not yet working with your industry sector?
Could your industry benefit from investigating innovative energy saving opportunities in your manufacturing process? Why not speak with your trade association about the possibility of the Carbon Trust working closely with your industry and contact us by emailing ieea@carbontrust.co.uk