Project ID 24019 - Airbus Operations Limited

IETF grant offered: £1,117,501
Project costs: £3,192,861
Location: Broughton, Wales
Energy Efficiency deployment competition: Interim Paint Shop and Final Paint Shop heat recovery

The Airbus Broughton site is located in North Wales and is home to its A320 Family wing production facility. Wings are fully assembled, painted and equipped with flight control and fuel systems on site before being shipped to one of Airbus’ Final Assembly Lines. By 2026, Airbus expects to be producing 75 wingsets per month and is on track to reach that.

During this process, each wing undergoes two painting stages in two separate banks of painting booths: the Interim Paint Facility (IPF) and the Final Paint Facility (FPF). Painting the wings is one of the most energy intensive manufacturing processes on site. Both painting stages require the use of ventilated heated painting booths. In each booth, heated air is cycled through the painting area before being vented to the outside. The proposal of this project is to install heat recovery technology into each of the booths that would transfer heat from the hotter air being vented to cooler air entering, improving the energy efficiency of the process.

A feasibility study conducted in late 2022 evaluating the technical and economic potential for retrofit of heat recovery technology to reduce gas consumption in the IPF and FPF indicated this new installation could reduce energy consumption during the painting process by approximately 50%. One of the existing painting booths in the FPF has already been retrofitted with heat recovery technology, which has reduced energy consumption at this predicted rate.

As part of this project and with the support of the IETF funding, Airbus plans to roll out this technology to the remaining painting booths within both IPF and FPF banks in order to achieve significant savings in energy and CO2 emissions.

Mark Jackson, Head of Industrial Safety, Ergonomics and Sustainability, Manufacturing Engineering, Airbus Broughton, said: “The paint shop heat recovery project at our Broughton site will deliver an estimated 50% reduction in both energy usage and CO emissions in the facility, supporting Airbus’ ambition to pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world.

“The IETF fund is making a key contribution and will help ensure its viability and support the plant’s decarbonisation journey.”

Project ID 24025 - Ultra Tough Limited

IETF grant offered:  £155,133
Project costs:  £258,554
Location: Welham Green and Hatfield South
Study competition: Ultra tough waste heat to electricity feasibility study

Ultra Tough’s plant in Welham Green, Hertfordshide, supplies quality toughened glass to glass merchants and manufacturers of double glazed units used in doors, windows and conservatories. The process of glass toughening involves heating the glass sheets to a high temperature and then cooling it rapidly. This is very energy intensive.

In this feasibility study, the company is assessing the possibility of utilising the waste heat from the exhaust gases of the glass toughening furnaces and utilise it to produce electrical power which can be reused on-site to improve energy efficiency and reduce reliance on externally purchased energy.

The problem is challenging due to various practical constraints and operational requirements of the process, for example the cyclical nature of heating and cooling, the need to test the furnaces under varying load conditions to obtain reliable data, the physical distances between the heat sources and sinks, the distributed nature of heat from multiple furnaces, access requirements, etc, and would require careful consideration, engineering design and a bespoke solution. The aims of this feasibility study are to identify opportunities for energy savings and carbon reduction and gain a reasonable understanding of risks, costs of investments and resources required for the selected solutions.

The IETF feasibility study grant, combined with match-funding from the company’s corporate funds, will cover the cost of this project. The project is expected to provide significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and savings on the company’s gas consumption upon completion and will provide some level of immunity from rising gas prices.

Shai Divani, Chairman, Ultra Tough Limited, said: “We are eager to make toughened glass manufacturing a sustainable process for our planet and contribute to reaching the national net zero emissions target by 2050. We are leading the way of energy efficiency and decarbonisation for the glass toughening industry in the UK. The IETF grant from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero is a vital resource for industries like ours which have limited disposable funds but are keen to put our environmental ambitions into practical action.”

Project ID 24054 – Saint-Gobain Glass

IETF grant offered: £90,232
Project costs: £180,464
Location: Eggborough
Study competition:  Glass carbon capture project

Saint-Gobain is a leading manufacturer of flat glass, including float, coated and laminated glass products. In the UK, located in Eggborough, East Yorkshire, Saint-Gobain operates a glass manufacturing facility producing over 200,000 tonnes of glass per year. As per typical glass manufacturing, the existing facility process consists of a large capacity furnace, which melts the raw materials at up to 1,500°C to produce glass. This melting process within the furnace results in the production of CO2. The Eggborough furnace was rebuilt in 2021 implementing the latest efficiency design that resulted in approx. 15% reduction in CO2 emissions per tonne of glass produced.

The Saint-Gobain Group set a 2050 target for decarbonisation and so the team at the Eggborough plant have been actively exploring opportunities to progress CO2 reduction. The development of a CO2 cluster in the neighbourhood provides an opportunity for the company to explore the reduction of the CO2 emissions through the Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) route. This solution would be a first of a kind for the glass industry. The goal of the project at Eggborough, once implemented, would be to capture at least 85% of CO2 emitted from the furnace flue gases.

Saint-Gobain Glass UK Limited aims to submit a strong application to the future cluster sequencing phase to be able to deploy Carbon Capture technology at the site and find suitable means of transport of CO2 to one of the clusters where it can be stored under the sea bed. To do so, Saint-Gobain is planning to go through a broad feasibility study to select the best capture technology in consideration of multiple criteria such as the CO2 reduction, the cost, the solution maturity and the EHS risk.

Saint-Gobain has reached out to different engineering companies working in the CCUS field leading to the definition of the study objectives. The completion of the project with the support of a subcontractor will help Saint-Gobain decrease the project risk and the cost, and so have better chances to be approved in the next phases of the cluster sequencing program.

The project is to be funded partially by Saint-Gobain UK and by an Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) grant. This will allow the company to finance the work that will be performed in parallel by a specialised engineering subcontractor and Saint-Gobain employees from the central team and Eggborough plant.

Steve Severs, Managing Director, Saint-Gobain Glass United Kingdom & Ireland, said: “The implementation of carbon capture technology at the Eggborough manufacturing site would provide an enormous step forward towards decarbonising the glass making process. The IETF funding would provide the impetus to make this a reality and help drive us to a low carbon and ultimately to a zero carbon glass production facility making products which themselves can boost the carbon efficiency of the UK building and housing stock.”

Project ID 24079 – Bumble Hole Foods

IETF grant offered: £24,704
Project costs: £36,248
Location: Bromsgrove
Study competition: Energy efficiency and decarbonisation of industrial processes through heat pumps

The objective of this study is to investigate whether a heat pump(s) can be used to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions currently being generated by the steam boiler system as this will improve overall efficiency.

Replacing the steam system with a heat pump(s) could also allow for the site to become fully electrified. This will be important for the site to be able to achieve carbon neutrality and fully utilise the solar PV generation currently installed and planned for the future (with battery storage).

Technology overview and justification

The technology to be explored is the use of heat pump(s) to provide process heat to the pasteuriser and associated CIP/washing processes.

At present, process heat is provided by a centralised gas and gas oil-fired steam boiler system. The steam is generated and distributed throughout the site to various pieces of equipment where it is used for low temperature applications. The required operating temperatures for the pieces of equipment are:

• Pasteurisation: 70’C
• Hot water system: 60’C
• CIP systems: 70’C and 60’C
• Tray wash: 40’C

Heat pumps are capable of producing hot water up to 100’C with newer heat pumps now being able to generate steam. There have been numerous examples of this in industry and therefore this would be a suitable operating temperature for the process requirements.

The justification for the use of heat pump(s) as opposed to other technologies is that they have a higher efficiency compared to gas-fired alternatives such as condensing boilers or resistive electrical heating with COPs typically greater than 3.

They are also electrically powered and despite the electrical grid (0.21233kgCO2e) having a higher GHG emissions factor than natural gas (0.183kgCO2e), when taking into account the COP of a heat pump the overall energy input to produce the same energy output will be less and therefore overall less carbon emissions will be produced. As the grid continues to decarbonise then further carbon emissions will be offset.

Further to this, Bumble Hole Foods are striving to become carbon neutral and have invested in solar PV on their site with more planned for the future. By electrifying their site and utilising the solar PV generation it will help them become carbon neutral. Solar thermal has also been considered to reduce the need for natural gas however heat generation would be seasonal and require an additional heating source.

Technology Readiness Level

Large, industrial sized heat pumps can be used to provide low and medium temperature heat to processes by the use of renewable energy from air, water or ground but also waste energy from buildings and processes. Current heat pump technology is capable of providing heat up to 100°C with a spread between source and sink temperature of approximately 50’K per stage, up to 80’K.

There are numerous examples where large industrial heat pumps (heat pumps that exceed capacities of 100kW) have been successfully installed with the largest units providing 35MW.

Study Output

The feasibility study will aim to achieve the following outputs:

• Determine the current energy use associated to the gas-fired and gas-oil fired steam system
• Determine the energy requirements of the equipment that utilise the steam
• Determine the energy losses associated to the steam system
• Determine heat output requirements
• Evaluate site processes and mechanical design interfaces
• Evaluate site processes and electrical design interfaces
• Evaluate location, installation and logistics
• Evaluate site operation and control
• Develop an initial design proposal
• Environmental and sustainability evaluation
• Commercial viability analysis
• Evaluate project execution risk
• Scalability and Replicability study

Project ID 24081 - Plasmor Limited

IETF grant offered: £36,797
Project costs: £53,994
Location: North Humberside
Study competition: Energy recovery from rotary kiln exhaust using ORC

Project background

Plasmor Ltd manufactures a highly diverse range of building block products. A fundamental ingredient in the concrete produced by the company for its Concrete Building Block portfolio is Expanded Clay Aggregate, a sintered ultra-light weight clay ball, produced on the company’s own production facility.

Production of expanded clay aggregate is energy intensive and hence a major focus of the company to both minimise energy usage and optimise the environmental impact of expanded clay aggregate.

How the project works

To create the reaction where the raw clay feed stock changes its physical properties high processing temperatures, in excess of 1000oC, are required. The physical size and characteristics of the production equipment is restrictive to typical measures to insulate or minimise heat loss ultimately resulting in significant process energy losses. The larger proportion of energy losses are lost in the process air stream which is exhausted through the exhaust stack direct to atmosphere.

It is proposed to utilise the waste heat from the exhaust air flow by passing this through the heat exchanger of a generator to generate electricity to feed back into the operating demand of the production process.

The generator will be based on the thermodynamic concept of the Organic Rankine Cycle, ORC. Energy will be extracted from process waste and transferred into the working fluid of the ORC and used to drive a turbine coupled to a generator.

Impact of grant funding

The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) grant will fund the joint research project between Engineers from Plasmor and consulting research company Envirya. Funding will enable technology research, partnered with operational experience, to produce a successful practical outcome.

Expected outcome

The research will deliver a feasibility assessment for the applicability of the ORC project. The anticipated outcome, having identified realistic deliverables, will include proposals from technology suppliers to move the concept to a realistic executable project.

James Marshall, Group Production Director, Plasmor Limited, said: “Process optimisation has always been a significant strategic goal at Plasmor Ltd, more recently this goal is not simply financially driven but also now environmentally focused.

“Our Expanded Clay Aggregate operation is an energy intensive process requiring significant levels of process heat, ultimately a significant percentage of which is released as waste through the process air stream.

“Waste heat recovery and usability is a new technology to the company and outside our capability to research. IETF funding awarded for the feasibility study to research recovery of the energy lost in this waste will enable future critical energy saving decisions to be made. Successful results and implementation will impact significantly on the operational costs of our process, whilst simultaneously reducing input energy requirements. Energy recovery and electricity generation will contribute to decarbonising our operations.”

Project ID 24085 - Plasmor Limited

IETF grant offered: £60,047
Project costs: £89,601
Location: North Humberside
Study competition: Carbon capture and utilisation from rotary kiln

Project background

Production of expanded clay aggregate is energy intensive and hence a major focus of the company to minimise energy usage and the environmental impact of expanded clay aggregate.

The production site where the project is proposed has facilities to produce Expanded Clay Aggregate and Concrete Building Blocks. This site supplies 4.2m m2 of building blocks annually to domestic and commercial construction projects throughout the East and South of England.

How the project works

In the production of Expanded Clay Aggregate, CO2 is released from the combustion of natural gas, used as the heat source and the organic properties of clay, the feed stock. All CO2 released from the process is currently discharged through the exit flue.

Carbon Capture technology is to be utilised to remove the CO2 from process flue gases prior to their release to the atmosphere. The captured carbon, without the need for costly post treatment and purification for subsequent use, will be utilised on the same production site to further enhance the properties of the concrete building block recipe design. Introduction of CO2 into the chemistry of the cementitious reaction in concrete has been shown to not only absorb CO2 but additionally enhance concrete’s properties, permanently locking away the CO2.

Impact of grant funding

The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) grant will fund the joint research project between Engineers from Plasmor and consulting research company Envirya. Funding will enable technology research, partnered with operational experience, to produce a successful practical outcome.

Expected outcome

The research will deliver a feasibility assessment for the carbon capture and utilisation project. The anticipated outcome, having identified realistic deliverables, will include proposals from technology suppliers to move the concept to a realistic executable project. Successful implementation has the potential to remove 20,700 tonnes of CO2 per year from release into the atmosphere. Reduction of CO2 in construction is highly supportive of the UK’s roadmap to net zero.

James Marshall, Group Production Director, Plasmor Limited, said: “Capital investment for economic growth has been key to Plasmor’s success. To sustain continued growth environmental challenges, present and future, are high on the company’s corporate agenda.

“Investment in our own Expanded Clay Aggregate operation in 1999 gave the company a significant competitive advantage. Our own Expanded clay aggregate is today a main constituent ingredient in all the concrete building blocks we produce. Present environmental operating constraints, particularly the release of CO2, from this process is proving to be challenging both financially and operationally.

“Known technology, although not readily scalable, exists to mitigate environmental impact of CO2 released from the expanded clay aggregate process. This technology and resources to research its applicability are beyond the levels of company capability and available capital.

“IETF funding awarded for the feasibility study for removal of CO2 from one of our kilns exhaust streams and utilise this CO2 in our core business, production of concrete building products, without the costs inherent to CO2 storage, offers significant future security for our operations.

“Decarbonising one of the main constituent ingredients in our concrete is highly supportive of current UK targets to decarbonise the construction industry and promotes achievement of net zero.”

Project ID 24096 - KP Snacks Limited

IETF grant offered: £418,488
Project costs: £677,961
Location:  Billingham
Study competition:  Fuel switch to H2 for heating equipment targeting decarbonisation in the food sector

KP Snacks recognises that the world needs to act now to reach net zero and has committed to tough targets for reducing its emissions. The company knows it has a challenge around reducing Scope 1 emissions as its processes are currently reliant on Natural Gas to control temperatures accurately and efficiently in its equipment, which is where the IETF support is key. The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) has given the company the opportunity to join up with the additional expertise and collaborative partners required to understand its route to a significant reduction in emissions through fuel switching.

The study will seek to develop a techno-economic model from which necessary investment decisions and future plans can be made regarding fuel switching its current production lines (fryer heat exchangers) from Natural Gas to Hydrogen in order to meet KP Snacks’ net zero ambition. Working alongside technical experts from Teesside University, bp, Saacke Combustion Services, Heat & Control and Intellect, the company’s main objective is to investigate two main scenarios regarding fuel switching to hydrogen:

1. Determine the amount of hydrogen percentage that can be blended with Natural Gas into its existing fryers before any adjustments are required to the burner control systems. This percentage blend is to be achieved whilst maintaining efficiency and power demands, offering reduced emissions.
   
2. Investigate what equipment modifications and associated operational/safety procedures measures are required and the cost implications involved with switching the current production lines to 100% hydrogen.

A techno-economic toolset will be developed that will enable the company to assess the use of either hydrogen blends or 100% hydrogen. The study will develop conceptual engineering designs to calibrate the model as close as possible to a real case deployment as well as providing an in-depth understanding of H&S requirements, hydrogen supply to the site (with a storage solution if required), hydrogen blending methodology along with an economic assessment for all areas.

The study will focus on its Teesside production facility, but with collaboration from the company’s other 6 production sites in the UK, all completed with the aim to move to a controlled production trial if proven feasible through the study.

A company spokesperson said: “KP Snacks are committed to making a better world for generations to come and recognise that the Climate Crisis is here and needs action now. We take the need for decarbonisation seriously and recognise that reducing our reliance on Natural Gas is essential but with some significant technical challenges. The IETF has given us the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded experts to develop a model for hydrogen use in our process and allow us to be at the front of that technical challenge.”

Project ID 24003 - ReCon Waste Management Limited

IETF grant offered: £280,502
Project costs: £404,434
Location: Craigavon, Northern Ireland
Deep decarbonisation deployment competition: Decarbonisation of material screening process by fuel switching from diesel to electric powered equipment

The key purpose of this project is to transition ReCon’s material screening process from Diesel Hydraulic operation to electric. ReCon has identified its screening processes as a significant contributor to the overall carbon impact of its business. This project will provide significant benefit for the company’s objectives to continually reduce the carbon impact of its business. This initiative provides it with an opportunity to realise its objective to decarbonise its operations.

The new equipment is to be powered predominantly by solar power 150kW or augmented by grid supplied electricity sourced from 3T Power that guarantees 100% of their electricity supply from renewable sources. The equipment will be operated in daytime working hours when there will be a prevalence of sunlight to generate solar power. This screening equipment will process material in one step rather than moving the material between two different screening process steps previously. This project will allow ReCon to achieve the same throughput capacity but with significantly lower carbon emissions from the comparative carbon benefits attained directly from the new electrified screening process and additionally indirectly from reduced loading shovel movements.

The project is being funded by ReCon in addition to the contributory grant funding provided from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) following on from the company’s successful application to Phase 2 of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF).

This investment will facilitate access to new business opportunities that will enable ReCon to diversify its operations and facilitate the manufacture of more carbon reduced End of Waste products from waste derived resources. This investment should also enable us to process a wider range of waste derived materials that would typically be more problematic to process. The capability to grow its operations should increase the company’s revenue, which will drive further expansion and re-investment in the business as its diversifies into new and exciting opportunities driven by the company’s ongoing commitment to Research and Development and Innovation.

This initiative will further enhance ReCon’s reputation for delivery of excellence in service level delivery and innovation across the recycling sector whilst supplying the most sustainable solutions for its clients. It has calculated that this will reduce its carbon emissions by 39.45%. The enhanced sustainability credentials of its operations resulting from this investment, particularly reduced Carbon impact from fuel switching to renewables powered electricity should also provide it with a platform to confidently tender for new business opportunities.

Daniel Connolly, Managing Director of ReCon Waste Management, said: “The new electrified screening process enables us to refurbish the various waste derived materials to produce a range of quality, sustainable end of waste products whilst delivering significant carbon saving benefits for the business. This electric screener will allow us to screen material with the same throughput of conventional diesel-powered equipment but with a fraction of the Green House Gas emissions.”

Project ID 24010 - Hanson

IETF grant offered: £5,592,542
Project costs: £15,589,958
Location: Padeswood, Wales
Study competition: Padeswood carbon capture and storage (CCS) project

Hanson’s Padeswood carbon capture and storage (CCS) project primarily consists of a carbon capture facility, which will enable it to extract CO2 emissions from the cement manufacturing process and safely store them – supporting the construction industry’s transition to net zero by reducing the carbon footprint of construction projects.

The project will create 54 new, full-time highly skilled roles as well as 350 additional jobs during construction. When operational, the plant will capture 800,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year – the equivalent of taking 320,000 cars off the road.

In March 2023, the project was chosen to be progressed to the due diligence and negotiation phase through the government’s Phase-2 cluster sequencing programme.

Our Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) grant is for Front End Engineering Design (FEED) of the carbon capture plant and its integration into the existing cement works.

The FEED studies will include the design of a waste heat recovery system from the kiln system supplemented by a combined heat and power plant (CHP) to provide heat for the CCS plant as well as the capture plant’s electrical power requirements. The FEED will inform the concepts for gas cleaning systems to prepare the emissions from the cement kiln for CCS. This includes improved particulate removal, selective catalytic reduction to remove NOx, ammonia and volatile organics all of which can reduce the efficiency and increase the consumption of amines in the capture plant.

CO2 will be cleaned to meet HyNet’s specification and compressed to approximately 40 bar(a) pressure and then delivered by a new pipeline to the HyNet AGI at Northop Hall approximately 7km from Padeswood. The CO2 will then be transported and stored in Eni’s Liverpool Bay CO2 storage assets. The Padeswood CCS project feasibility study was completed in 2022 using match funding from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund with further work on pre-FEED engineering design completed in 2023 fully funded by our parent company Heidelberg Materials.

The capture plant will use amine absorption technology to capture 95% of the emissions from the kiln and CHP plant. Since the kiln fuel mix includes biomass, the overall process will deliver net negative cement production.

Simon Willis, CEO Hanson UK, said: “I would like to thank government and all those that supported us in our bid to receive funding, which will enable us to help decarbonise the construction industry and meet our overall ambition to become a net zero business.

“This global exemplar project will provide net zero construction materials for major projects across the country, from new offshore wind farms and nuclear power stations, to clean transport infrastructure, as early as 2028.”

Project ID 24022 - Nestle UK Limited

IETF grant offered: £786,693
Project costs: £6,727,594
Location: Tutbury, Staffordshire, East Midlands
Deep decarbonisation project: Fuel switching from steam evaporator to electric mechanical vapor recompression

Nestlé is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies. With more than 2,000 brands ranging from global icons to local favourites, the company is present in 191 countries around the world.

Nestlé’s Tutbury coffee factory, located in the village of Hatton, South Derbyshire, is the home of Nescafé and the birthplace of Nescafé Dolce Gusto. The site houses all forms of coffee production including freeze dried, spray dried and pod technology together on one site.

The site has had more than £350 million worth of investment over the past ten years to bring pod technology, freeze dried and spray dried production together.

About the project

To make Nescafé coffee, the roast / ground coffee beans are first extracted into water in a set of percolators. The falling film evaporator heats the extract using steam and increases the solids content to a concentrated liquid before it is dried to granules. Experience in other coffee factories shows the energy benefit of switching to an alternative type of evaporator.

In the older part of the factory, the evaporator was designed more than 20 years ago. The IETF project will support Nestlé to invest in a replacement for the steam-heated evaporator – retrofitting the Tutbury factory with the latest style which utilises mechanical vapour recompression to achieve an improved performance.

The new evaporator uses 3 fan-compressors to circulate the vapours, without needing high pressure steam that is generated in the natural gas boilers. It therefore switches the process from using thermal heating to electric energy. In addition, excess heat from the evaporated water can be re-used to pre-heat the feed product and reduce heating steam consumption as well.

Replacing the factory’s use of steam (generated from gas and from burning used coffee grounds on site) with electricity from renewable sources will mean a significant reduction of CO2 emissions of about 2000t CO2. Based on the last year’s metering, this would lead to an estimated 8.5% reduction of CO2 from natural gas per year.

A Nestlé spokesperson said: “Nestlé UK & Ireland is committed to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 on the road to being net zero by 2050. As part of our road map to achieve this, we’re looking at every aspect of our own operations to reduce energy consumption.

“We have made good progress on our commitment to transition to renewable energy across all parts of our business but know the job is not done yet and we must continue to innovate. The IETF grant will support the investment case, which will allow the Tutbury factory to benefit from experience and learnings from Nestlé factories around the world who are retrofitting similar technology, to reduce reliance on gas and improve efficiency to drive emission reductions.”

Project ID 24023 - Global Switch Estates 2 Limited

IETF grant offered: £321,058
Project costs: £1,070,193
Location: London
Study competition: Cooling plant upgrade at Global Switch’s London East Campus

The objective of this study is to deliver the design and construction plan to overhaul the existing cooling plant which removes the heat generated by the IT servers in the 11-data-floors purpose-built London East campus and replace it with an optimised highly efficient solution.

The main components of the existing cooling plant are: a) air-cooled chillers and b) computer room air handlers (CRAHs) with no option for economisation which means that the plant operates year round on mechanical cooling. The latest feasibility study conducted for this infrastructure concluded that the most effective solution is a ‘hybrid’ plant which consists of economised water-cooled chillers with hybrid dry coolers. This system will be capable of operating in both free cooling (non-mechanical) and mechanical cooling modes which dramatically improves the annualised efficiency of the system. The expected savings from the deployment of the proposed system are significant (approximately 50 GWh and 9,500 tn CO2 per annum) and hence Global Switch are motivated to pursue this project.

The project represents a complete change in cooling strategy and involves an entirely different set of mechanical plant and sequence of operations. Therefore, there are complex and multidisciplinary design considerations to overcome before the business can commit to the retrofit. The complexity of these systems requires a detailed and costly engineering study. As this project constitutes a study and not an equipment upgrade, there is no RoI (return of investment) for the business and so it is likely to be rejected due to the high cost. The funding will help unlock the investment into the cooling plant optimisation by mitigating the initial high CAPEX risk.

This project will address all technical design considerations, provide the implementation plan, and consequently inform the business of the investment requirements and expected outcomes. Specifically, the study will contain MEP and S technical design, an assessment of the performance of the new chillers, hybrid coolers and CRAH units, the availability of the new selected equipment, a cost analysis (including CAPEX, OPEX and Life Cycle Cost elements) and a detailed project plan. Furthermore, it will produce all technical and operational requirements for removing old equipment, installing and commissioning the new chillers, hybrid coolers and CRAHs, project risks and embodied carbon assessment.

Project ID 24024 - Aggregate Industries UK Limited

IETF grant offered: £890,608
Project costs: £1,781,557
Location: Couldon, West Midlands
Study competition: Carbon capture, utilisation and storage at Staffordshire Cement Plant

Aggregate Industries was successful in securing funding from the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) to support its bid to install innovative carbon capture technology at its Cauldon Cement Plant.

The funding will be used to conduct a detailed feasibility study for introduction of the innovative technology by 2030, cutting carbon by over 600,000 tonnes a year at the Staffordshire Moorlands facility.

The plant, which opened in 1957 as the country’s first dry process cement plant, produces one million tonnes of bulk and bagged cement a year and employs 125 people on site.

Cement is a core ingredient in our construction industry globally, both as a directly used material and key component in concrete, and it is essential in delivering new homes, schools, hospitals, workplaces, roads, and railways, as well as the infrastructure that provides us with clean water, sanitation and energy.

But the process to create it is highly energy intensive.

Extreme heat is needed to generate a chemical reaction between cement’s raw materials, which include Limestone, and this process generates two thirds of all carbon dioxide emissions from the sector.

Because of this the only realistic way to decarbonise the industry and help achieve the UK’s net zero goals is through carbon capture.

What is CCUS?

The aim of carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) technology is to capture the carbon at source and transport it via pipeline to undersea storage beds. A proportion of the carbon could also be utilised in the creation of alternative greener fuels such as hydrogen.

Earlier this year a new partnership was formed involving 5 cement and lime plants in the Peak District area including Aggregate Industries’ Cauldon plant, with the intention of creating a new industrial hub which would capture and transport carbon.

Peak Cluster aims to cut annual carbon emissions by 3 million tonnes a year from 2030. It will pipe carbon from the partnership’s plants to former natural gas storage beds in either Liverpool or Morecambe bay.

Carbon dioxide emitted from the cement and concrete industry accounts for around a quarter of the total emissions in Derbyshire and Staffordshire, with 40% of all UK cement and lime manufactured in the Peak District and surrounding area.

Why is a feasibility study needed?

CCUS technology has not yet been implemented in the UK to date but there are a host of successful examples of where it has been successfully implemented within other industries, particularly in America and Europe.

The feasibility for the Cauldon Cement Plant will focus on assessing implementation of carbon capture at Cauldon. This includes a preliminary capture plant design with the existing boundaries, identification of compression requirements and a site utilities integration review.

It will also assess the available technology on the market and determine a series of preferred suppliers.

With the aim of reaching UK net zero by 2050 time is of the essence. Working with our Peak Cluster partners we have identified a clear pathway and timeline to implement the technology and pipeline with a view to it being up and running by 2030.

What are the benefits of carbon capture?

Aggregate Industries prides itself in leading sustainable transformation. In order to reach UK net zero targets decarbonisation of the construction industry is vital. This can be partially achieved through eradicating fossil fuels and switching to alternative fuels and renewable energy sources as well as efficiencies.

But this will not be enough on its own for the cement industry and net zero is only achievable through carbon capture.

As well as making an impact on climate targets and global warming it will help support the economy, safeguarding jobs and helping to create a new low carbon cluster of industry.

Dragan Maksimovic, CEO for Aggregate Industries, said: “Peak Cluster will help us and our partners cut annual carbon emissions by a quarter in Staffordshire and Derbyshire. That is a game changer.

“As a key player in the industry, we recognise our responsibility to drive sustainable transformation and carbon capture, utilisation and storage is key to our net zero goals.

“We very much welcome the IETF funding. It will greatly help in kickstarting the project’s initial phases as we move towards it becoming a reality by 2030.”

Project ID 24033 - Knauf (UK)

IETF grant offered: £139,849
Project costs: £237,044
Location: Sittingbourne, South East
Study competition: Feasibility study on using hydrogen as a substitute for natural gas at Knauf (UK) GmbH

With the rapid development of hydrogen technologies, using hydrogen as a substitute for carbon-rich fuels such as natural gas is becoming a viable solution for reducing CO2 emissions in energy-intensive industrial processes, such as the production of plasterboard and other gypsum-based building materials.

Knauf is a leading manufacturer of gypsum-based building materials, producing a wide range of gypsum plasterboards and insulation laminates at the Sittingbourne Plant. Knauf has set a near-term target of a 50% reduction in carbon emissions on the Sittingbourne site by 2032 through equipment upgrades and process improvements.

To meet this goal and the long-term goal of net zero production, Knauf, in collaboration with the University of Kent (UoK) and Rhizome2 Hydrogen Limited and with funding from the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), is to conduct a feasibility study on the deployment of low-carbon hydrogen as a substitute for natural gas at the Sittingbourne site.

The studies intend to assess the technical feasibility of using hydrogen combustion in plasterboard production; examine supply chains to optimising the delivery of hydrogen; evaluate the direct and indirect environmental impact of fuel switching; and draw a roadmap outlining necessary steps to implement the hydrogen technology at the Knauf Sittingbourne Plant.

Key technical challenges to switching fuels to hydrogen in plasterboard production include changes in heat transfer characteristics, potential increased NOx emissions, and changes in flue gas composition. Burners, materials, and standards currently exist for hydrogen use, and site distribution systems will need to be assessed for compatibility. The IETF has provided Knauf an excellent opportunity that brings researchers and specialists in the area together to assess their production processes, technical needs to deploy hydrogen at the site, and the financial implications. Researchers from the UoK will look at the technical issues of fuel changes including the combustion characteristics of hydrogen and their impact on production output and quality, as well as the economic aspects of fuel switches. Engineers from Rhizome2 will offer their support around currently available hydrogen technology and advice on the design and deployment.

The outputs of this project will provide Knauf with an understanding of the hydrogen technology, the supply chain options and the cost / benefit / environmental impacts. The technology model, once developed, can be replicated in many other high energy-intensive industrial processes, such as glass and steel making, large distillery plants, etc., in creating a pathway to net zero.

Craig Rousell, Engineering and Process Capability Development Manager, Knauf, said:

“The IETF, under the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), has provided Knauf an excellent opportunity that will bring researchers and specialists in hydrogen technology together to assess our production processes and technical needs to deploy hydrogen at our Sittingbourne site.”

Project ID 24035 – Heinz Manufacturing UK Limited

IETF grant offered: £2,537,500
Project costs: £7,298,000
Location: Wigan, North West
Energy efficiency deployment competition: Kitt Green Heat Pumps

Heinz’s factory at Kitt Green is not just its largest facility in Europe but also one of the biggest in the world. Here, it manufactures products like Heinz Beans, Soups and Pasta in a variety of formats.

Hot water is an essential medium used within food manufacture across a range of processes, including raw material blanching, ingredient preparation, cleaning and sanitation.

Traditionally, water has been heated using fossil fuel based natural gas. With this project, the factory will reduce its dependence on natural gas in the heating of process water. It will do so by heating water in 60°C and 82°C hot water circuits with heat pumps that reuses waste heat from other processes in the factory. With the right technology, there is sufficient energy to cover the site process hot water heating demands.

This project will:

• significantly reduce dependence on steam for heating water, thereby reducing gas consumption
• improve efficiency of cooling towers by recovering additional heat
• reduce the carbon footprint of the site

The main motivation for this project is to reduce utility consumption which significantly contributes to the site ESG goals and has a positive impact on efficiencies. With the IETF grant, the project investment of £7.2 million becomes financially viable and accelerates the de-carbonisation journey.

• reduces site energy consumption by 8.3%
• water consumption reduction of 29,000 m3/year
• Scope 1 Carbon emissions reduction of 3,900 t/CO2e per year (12%)

Saji Jacob, Head of West Europe Supply Chain, Heinz, said: “The IETF fund has enabled this Energy Efficiency project to become a reality at our largest food manufacturing plant in Europe. It represents a critical step in our decarbonisation journey towards Net Zero. The UK business recognises the significance of the investment and is committed to further utilising this technology across our company.”

Project ID 24043 - Taylor’s Farm Shop Limited

IETF grant offered: £988,341
Project costs: £1,414,471
Location: Ormskirk, North West
Deep decarbonisation deployment competition: Taylor’s Farm combined heat and power (CHP) project

The Taylor’s Farm combined heat and power (CHP) project replaces a piece of existing industrial equipment with a lower carbon technology. The biochar-producing CHP planned to be installed is unique and would be the first of its kind in commercial use in the UK. This would replace the fuel currently supplying the energy to the grain roasting plant from diesel to biomass.

The bean roasting process produces an alternative animal feed fed primarily to cattle. Most of this production is sold to neighbouring farms. Beans are a very good source of protein and make a good alternative to soya which is typically imported. In their raw form, beans are not very palatable, and thus low consumption rates means soya is usually chosen as the protein source for most cattle diets. When roasted, however, the palatability of this feed is greatly improved due to a gelatinisation of its starch, making it a viable, UK-produced option for British ruminant farmers, reducing costs and the need to import.

The CHP puts biomass through a pyrolysis process, creating carbon-rich biochar and syngas. This syngas is thermally oxidised above the biomass/biochar to run the CHP whilst simultaneously improving the pyrolysis environment through heat production and oxygen reduction.P. This unique process results in a roughly 50% reduction in carbon emissions since the carbon is locked into the biochar. This product can then be used on the farming enterprises, resulting in further business-wide emissions savings by increasing cattle rumen efficiency and reducing methane emissions or by increasing the farmland’s fertiliser-usage efficiency and increased carbon sequestration within soils.

Following successful completion and installation of the project proposals, a combination of the CHP and the solar panels (totalling 720kW on site) will cover all the electricity usage needed by the business, even at points of peak demand, meaning that electricity usage will be produced 100% on-site from renewable sources. The plant is expected to be operational for a minimum of 20 years, with the potential based on calculations for 4,532 tonnes of CO2e to be abated compared to an equivalent, already low-to-neutral carbon standard biomass CHP. Furthermore, diesel usage by the business will be able to be drastically reduced whilst the output capacity and contingency of the feed production venture is increased.

The business has embraced the NFU’s ambitious target for UK rural businesses of reaching net zero by 2040, and this biochar project will deliver benefits far stronger than any other decarbonising fuel switch project could on a similar target.

Andrew Webster, project lead, Taylor’s Farm, said: “We are grateful to DESNZ for this IETF grant award, which recognises that innovation on family farms has an important role to play in achieving the UK’s net zero goals. We are excited to put our proposals into action and to start reducing further the emissions across our farming enterprises”.

Project ID 24050 – Essar Oil UK Limited

IETF grant offered: £1,851,540
Project costs: £7,406,162
Location: Stanlow, Ellesmere Port, North West
Study competition: Essar Oil FCC Carbon Capture FEED Study

The Stanlow Refinery is the second largest oil refinery in the UK, and as such, is part of the critical UK energy infrastructure. The site also represents the largest GHG emitter in the North West of England.

Approximately 43% of the CO2 released from the refinery is emitted from the existing stack of the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) Unit. This unit is an essential part of the refinery to produce valuable products, and hence ensures a profitable operation of the complex. The production of coke is inherent in the FCC process and cannot be prevented. The coke must be burned to regenerate the catalyst used in the process for conversion of heavy-molecules into high-value petrochemicals and fuels. This regeneration process produces CO2 which cannot be abated otherwise.

The proposed FCC carbon dioxide capture unit (CDCU) to be located downstream of the existing FCC stack will capture at least 95% of the CO2 currently emitted leading to a net reduction of 0.86 MTPA of CO2 from the site.

The CDCU project has gone through its feasibility and pre-FEED phases. The former determined that an amine extraction process was best suited to capture the CO2 at the scale required while shortlisting possible technologies for the flue gas pre-treatment section, and the latter concluded in an optimized heat integrated design with selected relevant licensors for all key sections of the plant.

Partly funded by the IETF fund, this FEED study will ensure all the necessary engineering, planning and commercial outcomes are sufficiently detailed to deliver a Final Investment Decision producing a Total Investment Cost estimate meeting an AACE Class 2 level of accuracy.

The project scope will include pre-conditioning and polishing of the flue gas, amine-based absorption of the CO2 using selected licensors as well as CO2 compression and drying before injection into the transport and storage infrastructure, where the CO2 will be permanently sequestered. The CDCU requires significant amount of steam, power and cooling water. Therefore, various elements of energy efficiency have been included in the plant design to reduce the carbon intensity of the future CDCU plant and free-up large quantities of steam and cooling water from the existing process.

This project is one of the 3 core pillars to EOUK’s decarbonization roadmap for the Stanlow Refinery projected to become the first decarbonized refinery in the UK. The CDCU will abate 41% of the site’s total GHG emission.

Deepak Maheshwari. CEO, Essar Oil (UK) Limited, said: “The future Fluid Catalytic Cracking Carbon Dioxide Unit is the single biggest initiative to decarbonise our processes and a core element to our hugely ambitious decarbonisation strategy. Our ambition is to become a leading low carbon refinery. This is a massive undertaking, but it is a journey we are fully committed to. Not only is it the right environmental thing to do, it will future proof the critical Stanlow refinery for the long term, protecting jobs and industry, while also placing Stanlow at the very centre of the UK’s energy transition.”

Project ID 24051 - Essar Oil UK Limited

IETF grant offered: £427,157
Project costs: £1,708,628
Location: Stanlow, Ellesmere Port, North West
Study competition: Fuel switching to low carbon hydrogen at Stanlow refinery

The Stanlow refinery generates refinery off gas (ROG) as a consequence of its oil-refining operations from a variety of processing units within the complex. This ROG along with other fossil fuels like LPG and Natural Gas are used across 30+ fired-heaters and boilers in the complex to meet the site’s energy requirements. In converting all the fired heaters across the site to low carbon hydrogen produced in the future Vertex Hydrogen production plant, Essar Oil (UK) Limited (EOUK) will save 0.56MTPA of CO2, accounting for approximately 27% of the total site’s CO2 emissions.

The proposed project is not only aligned with EOUK’s decarbonization strategy, but also with the UK’s 10 Point Plan and HMG’s commitment to net-zero by 2050, especially considering that this project can significantly contribute to deliver one of the first major heavy industrial sites to be decarbonized in the UK. Partly funded by the IETF Phase-2 fund, this technology will be a leading example of fuel switching to low carbon hydrogen, providing a wealth of knowledge around the opportunities and limitations for industrial fired-heaters.

The technology involves the installation of a new low carbon hydrogen pipeline from the Vertex Hydrogen production plant across the Stanlow Refinery and branched to the fired-heaters within the complex. It also involves the retrofit of existing fired-heaters to enable these to burn 100% hydrogen, 100% alternative fuel in the event of lack of Hydrogen, or a combination of both. The design will allow for the seamless switch of each fired heater from the counterfactual fuel to hydrogen and vice-versa, when required. The retrofit will bring additional efficiency improvements in some of the fired-heaters by reducing the flue gas temperature, currently limited by acid dew point corrosion in the stack as a result of sulphur in the fossil fuel used.

The opportunity in this technology is vast and critical in achieving decarbonisation of not only the UK refining sector, but also of other large industrial sites across a number of sectors which rely on major process furnaces to supply their manufacturing energy needs.

Jonathan Barden, Chief Operating Officer, Essar Oil (UK) Ltd, said: “This project is one of the 3 core pillars to EOUK’s decarbonization roadmap for the Stanlow Refinery in becoming the first decarbonized refinery in the UK. By replacing the refinery off-gas and other fossil-based streams as the main fuels to fired-heaters with low carbon Hydrogen from Vertex hydrogen production plants, Essar Oil (UK) Ltd will remove 0.56 MTPA of CO2, accounting for over a quarter of the site’s CO2 emissions.”

Project ID 24058 - Laing O’Rourke Services Limited

IETF grant offered: £795,918
Project costs: £1,367,479
Location: Dartford, South East
Study competition: Deep decarbonisation of complex concrete product manufacturing

The Deep Decarbonisation of Complex Concrete Product Manufacturing (DDCCPM) study will examine how Laing can create a low-carbon manufacturing facility that can cope with a wide range of product types and variants, while providing significant flexibility to adapt to rapidly evolving products and materials.

The study builds upon Laing’s conclusions from the IETF Phase 1 Decarbonisation Precast Concrete Manufacturing project, which explored the decarbonisation technology landscape for precast concrete manufacturing. During this project, it assessed more than 100 available and emerging technologies and validated a number of high-impact, short-term deployable opportunities including a programme of testing and full-scale manufacturing trials.

Laing made 2 key conclusions:

• emerging ultra-low carbon technologies, systems, products, and materials that are radically different to existing solutions vary with respect to process and methodology. They take different approaches to processing, manipulation, forming, curing, and handling, and;
• they can be radically different in nature to current Solutions.

Those differences impact how easily and consistently they might be deployed and integrated into existing processes.

Manufacturing and construction environments face significant challenges and barriers, and it is impossible to simply swap one traditional product or material for a radically different low-carbon alternative.

Rapidly developing product and material solutions require continually evolving manufacturing methodologies. Without these, it will face significant commercial barriers and delayed adoption caused by the construction industry’s inherent nature.

The study will review whether the company can overcome these barriers by:

• implementing advanced cellular manufacturing solutions.
• developing detailed assessment, verification, and validation to enable low-carbon manufacturing within an environment of rapidly evolving products and materials.

By using cellular manufacturing, which is best suited to the variable product families: technology groups will be created. The groups will enable completion of a specific manufacturing process element with the flexibility required to adapt to new technologies.

The objective is a solution for low-carbon product manufacturing that realises short-term decarbonisation opportunities of 60-85%, enables process flexibility to fully decarbonise and allows de-risked facility investment.

Glen Rust, Technology & Innovation Lead at Laing, said: “This is a great opportunity to transform our world-leading, offsite, structural and architectural concrete product manufacturing facility to become even lower carbon.”

Project ID 24066 - Britvic Soft Drinks Limited

IETF grant offered: £304,665
Project costs: £1,265,550
Location: Rugby, West Midlands
Energy Efficiency deployment competition: Cooling tower condensers

Britvic is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its production and by 2022 had already reduced its direct (Scope 1 and 2) emissions by around 34% compared to its 2017 baseline. As part of its ongoing commitment, in 2019 it publicly announced that by 2025 it would reduce its direct emissions by 50% and indirect emissions by 35% against its 2017 footprint. After this date, its goal is to have net zero emissions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

The next step in the company’s journey to net zero is the implementation of the latest low carbon technologies at its production site in Rugby. With the support of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), the factory’s centralised chilling system can be upgraded to make use of more efficient cooling towers.

Heat is removed from products such as Tango prior to carbonisation to avoid foaming and waste. Heat is also removed from drinks that have been pasteurised.

The increased efficiency of the cooling towers over the current heat rejection set up will see a reduction in electricity consumption on the chiller units, saving up to 650 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year.

This upgrade will enhance the reliability and efficiency of the chilling system, especially during the peak summer months, allowing the production of much-loved brands including Tango, Robinsons and J2O to continue smoothly during warmer weather.

Paul Graham, Britvic’s Managing Director in Great Britain, said: “Britvic is proud to be at the forefront of our industry when it comes to sustainable manufacturing practices. This project is an important step forward in our carbon reduction efforts as well as improving the efficiency of our operations.

“Supported by the government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, this initiative not only signifies our dedication to environmental stewardship but also showcases Britvic’s commitment to our Healthier People, Healthier planet sustainability goals.”

Project ID 24070 - Dale Farm Limited

IETF grant offered: £997,733
Project costs: £2,850,665
Location: Cookstown, Northern Ireland
Energy efficiency deployment competition: Dunman heat pump and heat integration carbon reduction project

Headquartered in Belfast, dairy company Dale Farm employs approximately 1,200 people across the UK. Dale Farm is the largest UK farmer-owned cooperative, meaning the 1,300 dairy farmers that supply the company with milk also own the business.

Dale Farm is on a journey towards net zero and has committed to work with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) on deliverable, evidence-based pathways to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, the cooperative has actively invested in decarbonization initiatives, such as the installation of a 5 MW solar farm at its Dunman site - the largest processing facility within the cooperative, which operates continuously to produce cheese all year round. The Dunman site currently directly supports over 1,100 families in the local area with 345 employed at the facility and a further 760 farms of Dale Farm’s milk producers supplying milk to it.

The latest sustainability initiative at Dale Farm is the Dunman Heat Pump Project, aimed at reducing the site’s dependence on natural gas. This innovative project captures waste heat from the site’s chilled water system and repurposes it for pasteurization and other hot water processes, significantly reducing Dunman’s natural gas consumption. The reduction equates to a decrease of more than 3,500 tonnes of CO2e emissions each year, a substantial step towards Dale Farm’s decarbonization goals.

The Dunman Heat Pump Project has been facilitated with funding from the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), providing £997,733 to support its implementation. The substantial costs associated with the specialized equipment, as well as the integration into existing systems, would not have been achievable without this financial support. The funding has enabled the investment in an advanced heat pump technology that not only aligns with Dale Farm’s sustainability strategy, but also helps improve operational efficiency.

Securing this investment has unlocked new opportunities for innovation in sustainable energy use. The project is anticipated to deliver several benefits including a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and operational efficiencies. Moreover, it serves as a model for other industrial sites seeking to reduce their carbon footprints and achieve similar sustainability goals.

Ed Wright, Head of Sustainability, Dale Farm, said: “This exciting project is central to Dale Farm’s strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions across our business. It is part of our science-based approach to set and meet ambitious targets that will enable Dale Farm to play our part to limit global warming to 1.5oC.”

Project ID 24080 - Lacpatrick Dairies NI Limited

IETF grant offered: £3,249,475
Project costs: £7,221,057
Location: Artigarvan, Northern Ireland
Deep decarbonisation deployment competition: Heat pump installation at Lakeland Dairies Artigarvan site

Project description

The Lakeland Artigarvan High-Temperature Heat Pump Project represents a pivotal project in the pursuit of sustainability, cost-efficiency, and reduced carbon emissions. This project centres on the deployment of advanced heat pump technology to offset fossil fuel usage in the form of natural gas on the site. By harnessing heat pump hot water capabilities of up to 100 degrees Celsius, the system will provide vital heating services to Lacpatrick’s pasteurizers, dryers, and boiler feed water systems.

Project objectives

Carbon reduction and cost savings:

At its core, this project is aimed at addressing two critical imperatives: substantial reductions in carbon emissions and significant cost savings. By transitioning away from traditional fossil fuel sources to a high-efficiency heat pump system, the company anticipates a remarkable over 40% reduction in the site’s Scope 1 emissions. Furthermore, the impressive coefficient of performance (COP) of 4.2 ensures not only environmental benefits but also substantial operational cost reductions.

Waste heat recovery:

One of the cornerstones of this initiative is the recovery and transformation of currently wasted low-grade heat into valuable high-grade heat. This approach allows for the maximisation of waste heat recovery and the minimisation of energy wastage. It underscores its commitment to sustainability and responsible resource management.

Carbon-neutral operations:

The Lakeland Group recognises the urgency of addressing climate change and is dedicated to meeting ambitious climate targets. By implementing this heat pump project, it is taking a significant stride toward carbon neutrality. The reduction in emissions and adoption of sustainable practices align with its corporate responsibility objectives.

Grant funding necessity:

To ensure the successful execution of this project, grant funding is a requirement. The financial support will facilitate the acquisition, installation, and optimisation of the high-temperature heat pump system. IETF grant funding is not merely an investment in the organisation but a contribution to the larger global effort to combat climate change and promote sustainable industrial practices.

In conclusion, the Lakeland Artigarvan High-Temperature Heat Pump Project is a testament to its commitment to environmental stewardship, operational efficiency, and responsible resource management. By embracing innovative technology and sustainable practices, it is poised to make a lasting impact on the company’s carbon footprint while realising operational cost savings.

Project ID 24094 – Dunbia UK

IETF grant offered: £1,576,726
Project costs: £5,277,698
Location: Dungannon, Northern Ireland
Energy efficiency deployment competition: Refrigeration system replacement

Dunbia (UK) is a leading food processor providing quality fresh and frozen meat products for retail, manufacturing and foodservice customers in the UK, Europe and global export markets. Grounded in science, the company’s sustainability plan (PlanFourZero) outlines how it will reduce emissions within its operations and across supply chains, protect nature, restore biodiversity, inspire sustainable farming and support communities on the journey to net zero.

Completion of this project is a key step to achieving net zero at Dunbia Dungannon and helping Dunbia (UK) achieve its approved Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) goals by 2030.

The nature of the processing activity undertaken at Dunbia’s plant in Dungannon requires a significant demand for refrigeration to ensure a high-quality product is produced that meets food safety and product quality demands.

Refrigeration at the site is currently provided by means of an older ammonia refrigeration system and a number of smaller localised f-gas refrigeration systems that are not as efficient as equipment now available and do not permit heat recovery to be effectively utilised. This project will provide an upgrade to the existing refrigeration systems by installing a centralised and more efficient ammonia – glycol refrigeration system which takes full advantage of modern efficiency measures such as variable speed drives, heat recovery and smart controls. Additionally, ammonia refrigerant will have a significantly lower global warming potential than the existing HFC systems.

It is estimated that installation of a centralised ammonia-glycol system would provide annual carbon savings of 2,420 tCO2e and a 19% reduction in site energy consumption.

Niall Browne, Dunbia (UK) CEO, said: “We are passionate about delivering on our ambition to achieve net zero emissions and we have reduced our scope 1 and 2 emissions by over 40% since 2016. We want to go further and faster, but we can’t do it alone. Alongside our sustainable investment programme, this IETF grant from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will help us reduce our carbon emissions even further. This will benefit our employees, the local community, customers and consumers who can feel reassured that we take our sustainability responsibilities seriously.”

Project ID 24102 - Wienerberger Limited

IETF grant offered: £4,300,920
Project costs: £9,819,831
Location: Brough, North East
Deep decarbonisation deployment competition: Broomfleet electric kiln fuel switch

Wienerberger is a UK provider of wall, roof and landscaping innovations, offering sustainable solutions for new build and renovation.

The industry is an intensive energy user and consequently energy efficiency and decarbonisation are central topics in all of Wienerberger’s business areas.

The aim of this project is to significantly decarbonise the site by replacing the current natural gas tunnel kiln (required for the production process) with a new electric kiln process.

Indeed, gas is predominantly used in the heavy clay industry as a fuel for kilns; the heat produced at this factory accounts for almost 100% of the gas used. The company’s policy is to achieve net zero by 2050, including reducing emissions by 40% by 2030.

Currently, 92% of energy comes from natural gas used within the production process (i.e. kilns) with 8% from electricity. Gas consumption leads to 75% of overall emissions with 25% from raw materials used in the firing process. Moving to electricity will make a major reduction on overall emissions.

The electric kiln solution is an advanced technology solution, commercially available and can be applied to the industry and can reduce emissions readily. The technology to be applied consists of an electric push plate kiln, a technology already used in the manufacture of slip clay at the company’s Belgium site.

The site is in need of modernisation to maintain production capacity. This project will support the wider net zero plans. Revised production facilities will be implemented. The current gas kilns can be maintained to support the heat for this development but with IETF funding there is the opportunity to significantly reduce the carbon emissions for the site and provide a modern working environment.

This project will accelerate and complement Wienerberger’s plan under its sustainability strategies, allowing for the development of fast firing products contributing to the roll out of electric kiln technology to remove CO2 emissions from the combustion of natural gas.

The incentive through IETF to fast track this project in the UK is a great opportunity to demonstrate the use of the electric kiln technology and show that it works commercially.

Finally, this technology will be promoted across the supply chain as part of the company’s decarbonisation strategy and, as a result, a more environmentally friendly product range will be made available to key customers.

Stephane Vissiere, Project Manager, Roof Technology, Wienerberger, said: “Energy efficiency and decarbonisation of our production lines are our biggest challenges to deal with climate change, and ultimately electrification of our thermal processes must be part of our journey to net zero. I am therefore delighted that, thanks to the IETF funding, the opportunity to invest in an electric kiln at Broomfleet will make a significant impact on CO2 reduction and will act as an exemplar across the sector in demonstrating the scale up of large continuous electric kilns.”

Project ID 24103 - Encirc Limited

IETF grant offered: £1,220,110
Project costs: £2,440,222
Location: Elton, North West
Study competition: Feasibility of hydrogen-hybrid furnace upgrades for Encirc Elton

Encirc is a market leader in glass container design, manufacturing, bottling and logistics solutions. The manufacturing facility at Elton, Cheshire, produces over 500,000 Tonnes of glass per year in two of the largest, most efficient container glass furnaces in the world.

Encirc’s commitment to sustainability was previously underlined by the unique “360” service at Elton, which allows customers to not only take advantage of the glass manufacturing facilities, but also to fill, store and ship their products around the country from one purpose-built location. Now, the HyNet North West project promises a tangible opportunity to decarbonise the glass furnaces and deliver the most sustainable packaging material available.

This project will develop the technical, engineering, economic and operational detail necessary for Encirc to transition its existing glass manufacturing facilities to maximise the use of locally produced Low Carbon Hydrogen fuel. The scope of the project has been developed in collaboration with research and technology organisation Glass Futures Limited whose Global Centre of Excellence at St. Helens will provide an opportunity to trial and demonstrate the feasibility of furnace and forehearth technology changes to enable production of zero carbon glass.

The involvement of experienced glass industry professionals from Encirc and its parent company Vidrala along with Glass Futures and other collaborators will provide a thorough and balanced assessment of technology options followed by a detailed feasibility assessment which will directly inform investment decisions for decarbonisation. Glass Futures will also utilise its profile and expertise to share relevant findings for industrial decarbonisation within the wider industrial sector through targeted dissemination activities.

The project is to be funded by an Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) feasibility study grant, combined with match-funding from the company’s corporate funds.

Fiacre O’Donnell, Sustainability Director at Encirc Limited, said: “The development of alternative sustainable fuel options is an essential step in achieving our Net Zero future and therefore a key priority for both Encirc and the Vidrala Group. We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with Government and other stakeholders as we prepare to leverage the long-term sustainability benefits of HyNet North West. At Encirc, we look forward to ensuring that glass is the most sustainable packaging choice for generations to come. The availability of locally produced Low Carbon Hydrogen fuel is a unique opportunity, and it is our intention to be ready to avail of it.”

Project ID 24107 - Anglo Beef Processors UK Unlimited T/A ABP Shrewsbury

IETF grant offered: £943,445
Project costs: £1,886,889
Location: Shrewsbury, West Midlands
Deep decarbonisation deployment competition: ABP Shrewsbury Thermal Reconfiguration

The proposed project for Anglo Beef Processors (ABP) Shrewsbury involves the installation of an electrical heat pump to displace a significant portion of the current thermal demand on site which is currently provided by a natural gas boiler.

This project will realize the goal of recovering low grade heat from an industrial process, which is currently lost as waste, and upgrading this to a useful temperature, using a heat pump, such that over 80% of all the natural gas currently used on site can be avoided. It represents a key opportunity for the site to significantly reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, and therefore its overall carbon footprint as a facility.

Heat is required in the process in the form of low temperature hot water (LTHW) for various end users. Cooling is required for the deboning hall, product ageing rooms and final product processing and storage. Cooling is currently generated via an electrically driven vapour compression ammonia refrigeration system, which emits large quantities of waste heat. LTHW is generated by natural gas boilers. The proposed heat pump is part of an installation which will recover waste heat from the site’s bespoke blue chip refrigeration system and use this recovered waste heat as an initial energy source for the heat pump. This pump can then use this waste heat to electrically bring this water to approximately 65°C.

The project is being funded through capital expenditure with funding assistance through the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) from the Department of Energy, Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Fluctuations in energy prices may cause the payback for this project to seem less attractive, however ABP’s strong commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, in conjunction with government support, will allow this deployment to proceed.

The investment in the heat pump will achieve significant reductions in carbon emissions for the site, as over 80% of the thermal demand will be provided by renewable electricity. The LTHW demands for 45°C and 55°C will be fully met, whilst the energy required to generate the 90°C hot water will be reduced also due to a top-up system from the heat pump. The project will also further assist ABP Shrewsbury in meeting its climate change targets and reducing overall energy consumption on site.

The similarity of operations across abattoirs and across many subsectors of the food and drink sector makes this a decarbonisation solution of very high replicability for the wider food and beverage industry.

John Burton, Finance Director. ABP Limited, said: “ABP Shrewsbury understands the importance of moving away from the usage of fossil fuels for thermal energy demand, and as such the electrification of heat to displace such a large portion of CO2 at ABP Shrewsbury is exactly the type of project that ABP Shrewsbury wishes to implement to reduce its energy usage. It is a direct replacement of what was previously a fossil fuel sourced thermal demand to a now renewable source and will help towards reducing overall energy demands. It also represents a key mechanism for decarbonising the larger food and beverage industry, demonstrating a multi-faceted solution of circularity and fossil fuel avoidance.”

Project ID 24112 - Verdant Brewing Company Limited

IETF grant offered: £210,864
Project costs: £256,566
Location: Penryn, South West
Deep decarbonisation deployment competition: CO2 capture technology in scaled craft beer production

Established in 2014, Verdant is a specialist vegan brewery and produces beer on the scale of millions of litres per annum. The products produced by Verdant are renowned and the company have brewed 7 of England’s top-50 beers and won 2021 UK Independent Brewery of the Year by HonestBrew.

While the brewing of beer has been around for centuries, technological revolutions have consistently been developed for and adapted to the process. With the sheer scale of beer production, there is an enormous consumption of CO2 which is needed from the very beginning of the process with the de-aeration of water to strip out dissolved oxygen, to packaging, where CO2 is used to purge out all natural air, and thus maintain the life span of the product. Additionally, in fermentation, the products will naturally carbonate, however much of this CO2 is vented and forced carbonation to make the beer have its fizz is needed also. Importantly, the large volume of CO2 needed has to be of a high purity and thus purchased externally, with the majority of which ending up vented into the atmosphere.

With new focus on the environment, and the constantly evolving research and development in the brewing sector, state-of-the-art carbon capture technologies for craft brewing have recently surfaced. To this end, Verdant has embarked on a journey to be an early UK adopter of such technologies with the aid of the IETF.

In this project, the IETF will dramatically accelerate Verdant’s green journey by providing the financial aid to deploy a technologically ready carbon-capture technology (Dalum Beverage Equipment) into its existing brewing processes to enable highly efficient (15kg/hour) reclamation of wasted CO2 from its beer’s fermentation, purging, and water deaeration stages with the subsequent recirculation of the purified CO2 back into the brewing process via an engineered closed-loop system. Thanks to the IETF, the project will ultimately abate scope 1 CO2 emissions by 131.4 tonnes per annum, and 1-3 CO2 emissions by over 272 tonnes, and will be considered one of the most sustainable and effective decarbonisation avenues for the craft brewing industry in the UK.

A company spokesperson said: “With the aid of IETF awarded funding, we will be able to pioneer new innovations in carbon capture and abate, capture and recycle 272 tonnes of CO2 emissions from our beer production processes, helping us become one of the greenest craft breweries in the UK.”

Project ID 24113 - Encirc Limited

IETF grant offered: £2,597,682
Project costs: £4,409,196
Location: Elton, North West
Deep decarbonisation deployment competition: Deployment of a hydrogen fuel system for Encirc Elton glass furnaces

Encirc is a market leader in glass container design, manufacturing, bottling and logistics solutions. The manufacturing facility at Elton, Cheshire produces over 500,000 Tonnes of glass per year in two of the largest, most efficient container glass furnaces in the world.

Encirc’s commitment to sustainability was previously underlined by the unique “360” service at Elton, which allows customers to not only take advantage of the glass manufacturing facilities, but also to fill, store and ship their products around the country from one purpose-built location. Now, the HyNet North West project promises a tangible opportunity to decarbonise the glass furnaces and deliver the most sustainable packaging material available.

This deployment project will capitalise on Encirc Elton’s advantageous location within the HyNet North West development cluster to provide new fuel delivery and blending systems that enable the earliest possible adoption of Low Carbon Hydrogen fuel in the existing glass melting furnaces. Building on the success of earlier IFS-funded hydrogen fuel switching in a glass manufacturing furnace, Encirc will introduce hydrogen – initially blended with natural gas – as a first significant step in the decarbonisation of its glass production.

Engineering and technical staff from Encirc and its parent company Vidrala will collaborate with Glass Futures Limited, suppliers and project partners to develop permanent infrastructure, process equipment and facilities for the safe, long-term use of hydrogen as a fuel for glass melting. With an initial target of 20% Hydrogen by volume, the project will proceed to optimise furnace operation, glass quality and combustion emissions whilst maximising the opportunity for decarbonisation. Overall, the project is an opportunity to achieve the first ever large-scale, permanent deployment of Low Carbon Hydrogen in the UK foundation industries. As such, it will provide a significant evidence base for the use of hydrogen in industrial heating.

The project is to be funded by an Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) deployment grant, combined with match-funding from the company’s corporate funds.

Fiacre O’Donnell, Sustainability Director at Encirc Limited, said: “The development of alternative sustainable fuel options is an essential step in achieving our Net Zero future and therefore a key priority for both Encirc and the Vidrala Group. We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with Government and other stakeholders as we prepare to leverage the long-term sustainability benefits of HyNet North West. At Encirc, we look forward to ensuring that glass is the most sustainable packaging choice for generations to come. The availability of locally produced Low Carbon Hydrogen fuel is a unique opportunity, and it is our intention to be ready to avail of it.”