TAKE OFF ON THE FLIGHT TO SUSTAINABILITY
Tempest
An industry-leading commitment to sustainability sits at the heart of ELE Advanced Technologies flightpath to a net zero future.
In April the Nelson based engineering company announced that it had met its internal sustainability objectives and was now working on improving the performance of its supply chain.
Its original goal of reducing scope one and two carbon emissions by 80 per cent by “minimising energy usage and sourcing energy from renewable sources” was achieved at the end of 2023.
Paula Gill
place in Lancashire. Paula says: “Tempest is a real opportunity, the supply chain is really excited by it and it will utilise new technologies, creating new opportunities and jobs. It is a huge flag in the ground for Lancashire.”
Watchtower is delivering more opportunities. This £1m initiative, launched in 2022, has worked to support development and growth in aerospace and advanced engineering and manufacturing industries across the county.
Born out of the Covid-19 pandemic and the huge damage it inflicted, the initial two-year programme has been a collaboration between Lancashire County Council and NWAA and includes big hitters such as BAE Systems, Safran Nacelles and Rolls-Royce.
Diversification has been part of its brief. Support has been available to help businesses innovate and develop new products or ways of working.
A large part of Watchtower has been to look at advancements in technology and the processes needed to support and grow businesses. Sustainability and digital transformation have also been high on the agenda.
Paula describes the companies that have taken part in Watchtower as “vibrant and buzzing with energy” and she talks of the creation of a community through the programme.
Change may be in the air, but Paula also stresses that there remains the need for traditional manufacturing skill sets and processes. She says: “There is still a requirement for the small machine shop, manufacturing a certain product in a certain way using standard materials or processes. That isn’t going to suddenly change overnight.”
Skills remain a serious challenge. Paul says: “We can’t get enough people into our businesses and not just on the product supply side.
“That’s why we are looking at ways to help people looking to get back into work. It’s also about engaging with young people to show them the opportunities.”
An energy optimisation programme, using digital diagnostic tools helped to reduce the energy needed to power its machining tools by 20 per cent.
Photovoltaic solar panels were installed to generate up to 37 per cent of its own clean energy, with the remaining energy used on site coming from alternative renewable sources.
Its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility features electric vehicle charging points free to use for all employees.
A streamlined waste management system has also reduced the level of waste produced and increased repurposing and recycling rates, so that 88 per cent of the waste it produces now avoids landfill.
The final step of this initial phase will involve ELE reducing carbon emissions resulting from its heating requirements by exploring potential heat recovery options within its manufacturing operations.
Based on the Lomeshaye Business Park, ELE produces complex, high-integrity components for some of the biggest original equipment manufacturers in the world.
These include its unique turbine blade cooling solution that increases the performance and efficiency of aerospace engines.
Founded in the 1950s, the business originally supplied parts to Rolls-Royce. Today it delivers engineering solutions in the aerospace, power generation and automotive sectors, offering a complete package of processes.
Its customer base is international, with 75 per cent of components manufactured going into Europe. It employs 160 people in the UK and has a £27m turnover.
Chief executive David Stanley says: “Our customers may be some of the biggest blue-chip companies in the world, but they still have a steep journey ahead of them in achieving net zero by 2050 – through what they make and how they make it.
“We may have gone early in terms of leading the way for the rest of the supply chain, however we believe this is the right
David Stanley
thing to do and our customers value our responsible and collaborative approach.”
A key aspect of ELE’s drive to be an early adopter of the most sustainable approaches and techniques in advanced manufacturing has been the formation of a sustainability committee.
Tasked with driving forward environmental, social and governance aims, the committee engages with workers from all areas of the business and is now working towards the next phase of ELE’s journey to net zero.
David says: “Scope three now involves us looking into how we can support reduction of carbon emissions generated by our supply chain as a result of our operations.
“This will undoubtedly be the most challenging aspect of our sustainability journey. However, ELE already has excellent working relationships with its supply chain, so we’re already one step ahead than most, and look forward to working with our suppliers to explore the difference we can make together.”
To start, ELE aims to reduce carbon emissions produced by its commuting and courier services by 25 per cent. It then intends to achieve a further 25 per cent reduction from working with the remainder of its supply chain, by the end of 2024.
Sustainability sits high on the UK aerospace agenda. To that end the government is making £975m available to the sector between now and 2030 to support the development of energy efficient and zero-carbon aircraft technology.
SMEs are also being supported through the launch of a new R&D support scheme for small businesses, with up to £10m available each year.
ELE has also been on a “transformational journey” with the Made Smarter programme which has been created to help SME manufacturers access technology and digital skills.
As a result, digitalisation is now monitoring critical machines on the shop floor, allowing the business to respond proactively to issues by using data to minimise downtime, ensuring manufacturing processes run smoothly.
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AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE
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