Delivered as part of the ENWORKS programme the Sustainable Business Service consultants supported KME Yorkshire Copper Tube, based in Kirkby, with their resource and energy efficiency.
Kirkby-based copper tube manufacturer, Yorkshire Copper Tube Ltd, is part of the KME Group, the largest producer of industrial copper and copper alloy products in Europe. It has been working with Groundwork Merseyside since 2005.
Energy efficiency
Efficiency initiatives have included switching off transformers when not in use, reducing factory air pressure and fitting variable speed drives to the master air compressor to save energy. This has achieved annual energy savings of £44,200. Further savings of £34,500 a year have been made by fitting low-energy light bulbs, and installing heating timer controls and high-speed roller doors to reduce heat loss.
Waste management
Waste management initiatives have brought annual savings of £35,000. These have included reducing the amount of hazardous waste being produced and segregating waste to recycle materials such as waste paper, copper cable, copper ‘dust’ and left-over tubing.
Fresh opportunities to make annual savings of £17,400 are now being tackled, such as reducing the amount of lubricating oils being contaminated and sent to waste, de-contaminating waste oil and streamlining waste management procedures.
Recycling wood and cardboard could save another £5,400 a year.
Total efficiency savings
Altogether, these actions have resulted in annual savings of £113,700 and scope has been identified to save another £22,800 a year. The total cost savings come with annual environmental savings of 449 tonnes of CO2e, 36 tonnes of materials and 322 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill per year.
“We have benefited from Groundwork advice and support for six years now, through the ENWORKS programme. The results are clearly reflected in the improvements and savings we have made in energy reduction and waste management and we look forward to continuing this productive partnership.”
Alan Ogilvie, Facilities Manager, KME Yorkshire Copper Tube