New energy technology could save British industrial customers £540m-a-year
The UK’s industrial sector could save at least £540m on its energy bills by adopting new energy technologies such as solar and battery storage, according to a report published today by Centrica.
The Distributed Energy: Powering the future of industry report covers the UK’s major manufacturing and production activities such as steel, mining, chemicals, car manufacturing, machinery and food & drink production, which together account for one quarter of the UK’s entire electricity demand. The sector has been challenged to improve its energy productivity by 20% by 2030, as set out by the government’s Clean Growth Strategy.
Jorge Pikunic, Managing Director at Centrica Business Solutions, said: “In 2017, the industrial sector used 92 million megawatt hours of energy. As well as being a staggering statistic, I believe this is also a clear signal of the opportunity for industrial organisations to play their part in the changing energy landscape, while also unlocking the potential of energy to ensure the UK’s position in the global marketplace.
“By exploiting the energy technology of the 21st Century, the industrial sector can inspire a new revolution and help secure business advantage – a particularly important opportunity for the UK as it adapts to life outside the European Union.”
The research findings suggest that savings could be achieved by adopting distributed energy technology such as new heating and lighting, solar, Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and battery storage. New energy monitoring technology can also help to identify inefficient machinery and processes.
The report also suggests that if just 50% of businesses in the sector took up energy technology improvements, UK productivity and growth could be boosted by £13.9bn GVA (Gross Value Added).
Read more in the Executive Summary, and to access the report in full, complete with more information around the size of the opportunity and relevant case studies, click here.
Centrica officially opens new CHP factory
The industry report has been published to coincide with the official opening of Centrica’s new CHP factory in Salford, Manchester. The site was inaugurated by Cllr Alex Ganotis of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, on Friday 21st September.
The site will operate alongside Centrica’s current facility, which has produced more than 3,000 units for use in the UK and globally since 1984. An additional 20 jobs have also been created by the expansion.