Since we started monitoring our energy use and emissions against our 2006 baseline year, our energy and carbon reduction has been significant. In 2022, we delivered a range of activities and investments to further improve our energy efficiency and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
- 2022 Performance
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We recognize that businesses like ours have an important contribution to make towards reducing global GHG emissions and the impact of climate change. Our total absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and our total reported intensity scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per metric tonne of product have both decreased by 46% since 2006.
Increased customer demand for products made at sites that have a higher energy (gas) usage, meant that our scope 1 GHG emissions rose by 1,449 tonnes in 2022. Our absolute scope 2 GHG emissions rose by 4,805 tonnes and our intensity scope 2 GHG emissions per metric tonne of product by 8.65 kg when compared to 2021. This increase was primarily due to a decision to invest money into internal energy reduction projects, rather than purchasing Guarantees of Origin (GOs) from our energy provider at one of our manufacturing facilities. Investment in tangible decarbonization projects at our facilities such as these, are more impactful and sustainable in the long term than purchasing voluntary carbon certificates.
In 2022, the energy intensity of production (GJ consumption per metric tonne of product) increased slightly by 0.38% from 2.79 GJ per metric tonne of product produced in 2021 to 2.8 GJ per metric tonne of product produced. Since 2006 there has been a 5% decrease.
In 2022, all but one of our 13 manufacturing facilities procured 100% renewable electricity. The outlier facility is located on an industrial complex which does not offer renewable electricity contracts. Renewable energy now accounts for 20% of our total energy mix.
- Energy Reduction Activities
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Resource Reduction Group
Our global Resource Reduction Group (RRG) is responsible for maintaining a pipeline of energy, water and waste reduction projects and the sharing of ideas and best practice across the sites. This includes capital investment projects and local initiatives. A dedicated energy reduction fund is made available each year for capital investment projects that support energy reduction where the payback period is accepted as being longer than would normally be required. The fund targets projects that could help deliver our 2021 objective of achieving a 10% reduction in our scope 1 emissions, based on a 2020 baseline, by the end of 2030.
Going forward, our energy reduction projects and activities, implemented during 2022, are forecast to reduce annual energy consumption by over 4,944 MWh and reduce our total group Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 547 and 130 metric tonnes CO2 equivalent, respectively. Below are some examples of projects introduced, that have helped reduce energy consumption on our sites:
- Leuna, Germany: Improvements were made to the Catox (Catalytical Oxidizer) direct burner at the site. Optimizing the burner will save 634 MWh of gas per year. The site also joined the German Energy Efficiency Network. This regional network comprises of ten companies each setting a target to improve energy efficiency. They meet quarterly with the aim of sharing best practice and ideas for energy reduction and optimization.
- Herne, Germany: An upgrade to the heated storage tanks insulation systems will save 496 MWh of gas per year. Process improvements were also made to the manufacturing wash stage of a key new fuel additive. These improvements not only resulted in savings in water and waste but will also provide annual savings of 19 MWh per year of the gas previously used to heat this water.
- St Mihiel, France: The recovered steam from the introduction of a new flash steam recovery system at our site in St Mihiel is now being used to heat a storage building on site saving 289 MWh of gas per year. A site steam trap survey identified several leaking steam traps and lines which have since been replaced and upgraded, saving 1,000 MWh gas per year. The site also completed a heat loss survey which highlighted energy losses from a number of uninsulated steam lines, valves and flanges. A program to install insulation started in 2021 which, once completed, is expected to provide gas savings of 2,100 MWh per year.
- Castiglione, Italy: Replacement of an old steam fed hot water system, previously used to provide hot water for an amenity block at our site in Castiglione, with a new more efficient electrical heat pump will save 289 MWh of gas per year. The site also optimized an existing process heating system by removing redundant pipes and steam traps saving 360 MWh of gas per year. Optimization improvements made to the process drier cooling tower fans, along with the installation of new LED lighting in a process area on site, will provide combined savings of 18 MWh per year.
- Barcelona, Spain: Completed a steam trap survey using ultrasonic and infrared measuring equipment. This identified several leaking steam traps, which have since been replaced and upgraded, saving 1,114 MWh of gas per year. We also switched 83% of our diesel forklift trucks for electric trucks that use electricity procured from renewable sources. This is saving 112 MWh of gasoil per year. The site’s program to replace old florescent lighting in process areas with more efficient LED lighting continued in 2021, saving 3,880 kWh of electricity.
- Salisbury, NC, US: Emissions from the flaker equipment used at our Salisbury site have been reduced following the installation of three new electrostatic precipitators. The aging freshwater steam heated system, previously used to feed the precipitators, has also been replaced and is instead now fed from an existing recirculated tempered water system. This negates the need to use and heat the fresh water, saving 86 MWh per year in gas.
- Ellesmere Port, UK: Rationalized and replaced the site’s aging electrical infrastructure with a more efficient substation. The site was built in the 1950’s and since this time the production profile of the site has changed considerably, resulting in a lower energy demand. The project started in 2008 with the HV (high voltage) rationalization program focusing on the removal of redundant capacity. In 2014, the first of a series of major capital projects, totalling £4m, was approved to replace obsolete and poor performing switchgear. Overall, the project has provided an energy saving of over 408 MWh per year and permanently removed over 60 metric tonnes of electrical insulating oil from site. The site also changed seven of its on-site diesel vehicles for 100% renewable electric equivalent vehicles, saving 47 MWh of gasoil per year.
- Vernon, France: Installed a new automated temperature control system on the office building’s electrical heating system which will save 2.9 MWh of electricity per year. A 4% reduction in gas has also been achieved following implementation of process efficiency improvements on site, such as increased use of the boiler’s economy operational mode and isolation of process heat transfer lines that are not in use.
- Oklahoma City, OKC, US: Replaced standard florescent lights in their process warehouses and offices with energy efficient LED lighting. This has saved 71,927 kWh of electricity per year.
In addition to the pipeline of energy reduction capital investment projects, the RRG also encourages and supports local initiatives. The RRG coordinates the sharing of information and learning from across the sites through regular communications and best practice meetings.
