CHALLENGE: The corporate sustainability plan of the company includes performance improvement targets pertaining to the reduction of four key performance indicators (KPIs): energy use, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), water and waste.  The company is now looking to operationalize its plan by benchmarking one of its plants, and identifying performance reduction opportunities for these KPIs.  For companies operating in China, these benchmarking and opportunity identification studies are important because they establish the basis for plans in line with government energy and environmental performance requirements and, consequently, put the company in a position to access financial support and other means of support. 

SOLUTION: ICF Marbek is modifying its energy performance improvement toolkit to form the core of the continuous improvement process of the four KPIs at the plant. The performance assessment of KPIs comprises the first three steps of a continuous improvement cycle and addresses the implementation of both management and technical best practices. The energy performance improvement toolkit provides benchmarking of resource intensities and application of technical and management best practices to reduce resource consumption and waste; opportunity identification and prioritization to improve KPIs; action plan development to guide the strategic opportunity implementation for continuous improvement and reduced operating costs; and a training and capacity building for plant staff to use the toolkit and conduct performance assessments on an ongoing basis through measurement and verification.

RESULT: This project is currently in-progress.

CLIENT:

CHALLENGE: The industrial and manufacturing sector faces considerable challenges in improving productivity and competitiveness.  Growth in the sector means a growing demand for energy services, which is of concern to both industry and to utilities and governments.  ISO 50001 has emerged as a voluntary standard that provides requirements for an organization to establish, implement, maintain and improve an energy management system. The question is whether a “one platform” solution is within reach to enable organizations to establish the systems and processes necessary to improve energy performance, including energy efficiency, use and consumption.

SOLUTION: ICF Marbek (in collaboration with the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters-Ontario) is developing pilot program concepts that potentially can use Lean to foster the effective take-up of ISO 50001.  We are working our way towards advancing innovative program concepts and, so far, have profiled Lean and ISO 50001 take-up in Ontario and assessed barriers; interviewed lean service providers and lean companies; profiled utility government programs that have attempted to integrate lean concepts with energy management; and assessed the market’s capacity to bring Lean and ISO 50001 to Ontario industrial sector. 

RESULTS: This project is currently in-progress.

CHALLENGE: China and India have set targets to improve the energy efficiency of their energy intensive industrial sectors. Besides reducing the environmental impact of industry, improving the energy efficiency also makes the Chinese and Indian industries more competitive by reducing operating costs. The ammonia manufacturing sector contains many large energy intensive plants and is affected by the targets set in both China and India.  The sector needed a standardized approach to assess energy efficiency performance and identify opportunities at plants.  This which will drive the sector in its aim to continually improve its energy efficiency performance.

SOLUTION: ICF Marbek customized its energy performance improvement toolkit for the Chinese ammonia manufacturing sector, and is currently customizing it for the same sector in India. The energy performance improvement toolkit provides benchmarking of resource intensities and application of technical and management best practices to improve energy efficiency; opportunity identification and prioritization to improve energy efficiency; action plan development to guide the strategic opportunity implementation for continuous improvement and reduced operating costs; provision of a standardized approach to ensure that data is consistent and comparable against industrial peer’s performance; and training and capacity building for plant staff to use the toolkit and conduct performance assessments on an ongoing basis through measurement and verification.

RESULT: The toolkit was tested at a number of ammonia manufacturing plants in China with excellent results. Potential savings of between 15% and 23% were identified, with associated annual cost savings per plant ranging from CAD$800,000 to CAD$2.3 million. The toolkit for India is currently under development.