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.”
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).
