CHP could help industry save £540 million a year

A new report claims the British industrial sector could save up to £540 million (€601 million) per year on its energy bills by switching to new energy technologies such as combined heat and power (CHP), solar or battery storage.

The research comes as part of Centrica Business Solutions Powering Britain report, which has analysed the UK’s major production and manufacturing activities, including steel, mining, chemicals, car manufacturing, machinery and food & drink production. Combined, these sectors cover a quarter of the country’s entire electricity demand.

“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,” Jorge Pikunic, Managing Director at Centrica Business Solutions, said.

“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.”

Centrica has published the report to coincide with the opening of its new CHP factory in Salford, Manchester. The new site will operate alongside Centrica’s existing CHP factory, which has produced more than 3,000 CHP units for use in the UK and around the world since 1984. 20 new jobs have been created by the expansion.

The report suggests that savings could be achieved by adopting distributed energy technology, such as CHP, new heating and lighting, solar, and battery storage. It also claims that if just 50% of businesses in the sector adopted energy improvements, UK productivity and growth could be boosted by £13.9bn GVA (Gross Value Added).