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GREENER MANUFACTURING


A FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO PROCUREMENT


Ruth Martin, UK & Ireland Manufacturing Sector Expert at Aggreko, discusses how firms can approach current challenges through flexible energy solutions


equipment in line with increasingly stringent legislation, British industry is facing challenges on all fronts. To protect the bottom line, facilities managers across the UK have accelerated their efforts to cut energy usage. However, processing professionals must


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also be wary of protecting their ability to upscale operations, as experts are predicting long-term growth following immediate turbulence. According to Future Market Insights, the advanced process control market is expected to advance with a steady CAGR of 9.31% until 2032. Facilities managers are therefore


increasingly needing to examine their practices to address challenges while exploring alternative approaches to adapt operations in the long-term. A recent report by the IEA further supports this approach, claiming that the energy crisis has strengthened the economic arguments for cost-competitive, cleaner technologies. Aggreko’s recent Greener Manufacturing


report, highlighted that industrial facilities are too often relying on power and temperature control systems oversized or poorly matched for their chosen application, leading to inefficiencies. This prompts difficulties for operational managers as wasted energy usage is hitting their bottom lines. Firms can, however, target identified areas as an avenue to reduce costs and boost productivity. This inefficient use of equipment is also


fuelling increased emissions, making it a sustainability issue as well as a financial concern. Indeed, the findings of a recent report from Make UK, found that 54% of manufacturers say the rising cost of energy is driving their plans to decarbonise. Sustainability measures can lead to more efficient production, and equipment specification is crucial for this. To effectively enhance process efficiency,


companies must be able to procure technologies that can be simply integrated into existing operations. However, established equipment procurement practices may not


ith mounting pressures on energy costs, an unpredictable economic landscape, and pressures to update


Working closely with solution suppliers can improve business robustness while also adopting more sustainable practice


be suited to the new industry challenges. Businesses must incorporate unpredictable


external circumstances into their long-term production plans. Specifically, a rigid procurement strategy could mean businesses potentially find themselves stuck with over or under-specified and costly equipment unable to adapt to fluctuating production demand. Alongside this, net-zero sustainability targets


are continuing to inform companies’ decisions over upgrading their fleets with more sustainable technologies. However, uncertainty surrounding whether the UK will continue to mirror EU sustainability standards means currently compliant technologies could be invalid in the near future. Updating fleets by purchasing permanent installations could restrict equipment changes down-the-line when new, higher-performing technologies become available later. Processing professionals therefore face a


serious procurement dilemma: expected long- term growth means firms should be prepared to bolster production, but an unpredictable market and regulatory framework poses short-term difficulties. Solutions which attempt to reduce energy usage during the current crisis must also be attuned to a forward- thinking and pragmatic approach to future challenges. As an alternative to permanent equipment procurement, temporary procurement strategies can help existing facility infrastructure adapt to external circumstances. Energy and temperature control solutions procured through innovative hiring strategies offer the potential to navigate the transition to sustainable energy while protecting all-important bottom lines. Through these equipment measures,


efficiency improvements can be achieved without impacting capex budgets – important when financial margins are increasingly strained. Moreover, by anticipating disruption to future outputs, temporary utility provision can be scaled up or down. This is crucial for the process and control industry where demand is susceptible to market fluctuations


48 DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023 | PROCESS & CONTROL


yet also set for long-term growth and a move to sustainable practices. This approach, however, relies on suppliers


that, by updating their own fleets and processes, assist positive industry changes to lower emissions while protecting firms’ back pockets. Aggreko’s Greener Upgrades initiative can provide a route for the manufacturing sector to cut emissions and fuel consumption without sacrificing output. For instance, by offering customers cleaner technologies and alternative fuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) Aggreko are supporting a low carbon future for industry. Aggreko’s investment in more sustainable products, fuels, and services make greener solutions accessible to its customers, regardless of where they are on their path to sustainability. In conclusion, ill-suited, insufficient, or poorly


performing equipment can prove prohibitive to improving operational efficiency and sustainability. However, with suppliers capable of matching the right package with the right process, companies can bypass these issues while scaling production capabilities in line with continually changing demand. Additionally, by possessing necessary expertise and up-to-date technologies, suppliers can support firms in adapting processes to better address the current energy crisis and implement new technologies as they become available. Equipment procurement based on


temporary hire can help companies take on immediate industry challenges and uncertainty while addressing long-term sustainability trends and growth forecasts. Download the Greener Upgrades guide


here: https://www.aggreko.com/en- gb/sectors-and-services/manufacturing/gre ener-upgrades-in manufacturing?utm_medium =pressrelease&utm_source=pr&utm_campai gn=greenermanufacturing


Aggreko www.aggreko.com


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