Facilitating greener upgrades in power procurement

WITH ENVIRONMENTAL legislation growing ever-tighter, the Government is calling upon all industries to play their part in achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The significance of this is felt perhaps most heavily in manufacturing, with processes in this sector accounting for one third of global energy consumption, according to Deloitte’s 2021 report Sustainable Manufacturing: From Vision to Action.

As such, Deloitte’s report also highlighted improving operational efficiency and adopting green energy as key areas of impact for this industry going forwards, with the importance of this further compounded by the ongoing energy crisis. For this reason, it may be time for UK manufacturers to re-evaluate their approach to on-site power generation as they look to make efficiency gains.

When attempting to address increased energy demands, the natural approach for many manufacturers is to supplement their power demand with temporary generators. However, these must be properly specified for the application, lest they be subject to inefficiencies.

Here, the importance of right sizing comes into play – opting for solutions that do not exceed the energy needs of the site. In an ideal scenario, rental solutions should be operated at 80% load or above, though research from Aggreko has found that this can often be as low as 30%, leading to greater fuel consumption and increased carbon emissions.

However, this issue is not black and white, as energy demands in the manufacturing sector can often vary throughout the day, making it difficult to opt for a singular generator that meets the needs of the site. Here, the solution may lie in a load on demand system, wherein a number of smaller generators that scale up or down according to demand are favoured over a singular genset. This allows the energy requirements of the site to be met during periods of high demand, without incurring inefficient usage of generators when the need for power wanes.

Identifying the Optimum Solution

Opting for a load on demand system is just one method that manufacturers can take in order to achieve more efficient energy usage on site. However, it is important to recognise that this will not prove to be a one-size-fits-all approach, and that a customised solution based on the unique demands of the site will facilitate the greatest efficiency gains.

For this reason, Aggreko has recently launched a new savings calculator for the manufacturing sector as part of its wider Greener Upgrades initiative. The tool allows operators to input the power demands of their site, which it then uses to determine potential savings in carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter as well as fuel consumption.

The calculator will then suggest a greener alternative to the operator through which these savings can be achieved. This spans a variety of greener technologies within the Aggreko fleet, including Stage V generators, hybrid battery systems, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), and the aforementioned load on demand package.

Through the support of tools such as these, UK manufacturers will be able to identify the optimum solution as per the needs of their site, delivering a reduction in both site overheads and their carbon footprint.

Chris Rason is managing director at Aggreko Northern Europe

For more information: 

aggreko-calculators.com

Tel: 0333 016 3537