Food processor ABP has reduced carbon emissions at its site in Clones, Co Monaghan by 80% after partnering with ESB to install a state-of-the-art water heating system.
The company said it had cut 1,692 tonnes of CO2 from its operations in Clones, equivalent to the emissions from 672,032 litres of diesel or 268 homes' oil usage for a year.
The heating system recycles the list heat generated by refrigeration units, using it to heat the water used for cleaning, processing and hygiene on site.
The result is that only a small amount of water needs to be heated using a smaller, more efficient gas boiler.
The heating system principle is similar to the air to water heat pump system used in domestic homes, but the system boosts waste heat instead of air.
The project forms part of ABP’s overall sustainability strategy and is part of a decarbonisation plan to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% from 2021 to 2030 across all ABP sites in Ireland, UK and Europe.
The company said the reduction in emissions at Clones is a significant step in successfully reaching its targets, which have been officially validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
"This is a very exciting innovative project for ABP and an important step in our drive for greater sustainability," said Kevin Cahill, managing director of ABP Ireland & Poland.
"This is a pilot project at the Clones site, we are in the process of replicating it at another of our facilities.
"This will result in an enormous reduction in the carbon footprint and go a long way to achieving our carbon reduction targets as set out by the Science Based Targets initiative."
Ciaran Gallagher, head of smart energy services at ESB, said: "This project is a significant milestone in our mission to support businesses in achieving their sustainability goals.
“By partnering with ABP, we will demonstrate the transformative impact of advanced heat pump technology on reducing carbon footprints and enhancing energy efficiency.
"Our collaboration underscores the critical role of innovative solutions in driving progress towards Net Zero targets.
"As leaders in smarter energy solutions, we look forward to continuing our work with ABP and other forward-thinking companies to replicate this success across more facilities, paving the way for a more sustainable industrial sector.”
ABP is a founding member of the Plastics Action Alliance (PAA), improving sustainability in plastic packaging supply chains.
ABP’s Plastics Policy ensures that all plastic packaging used by ABP must be designed to reduce environmental impact and maximises recyclability.
The company has also planted over 40,000 trees since 2020 and aims to reach a target of 100,000 trees planted by 2030.
Additionally, ABP has an extensive waste management strategy across all its locations, which saw the compay successfully reduce the amount of cardboard packaging it uses annually by 800 tonnes since 2021.
ABP employs more than 14,000 people and has over 50 manufacturing plants operating across nine countries.
Photo: (l-r) Ciaran Gallagher, Head of Smart Energy Services, ESB; John McMurray, General Manager, ABP Clones; Richard Keating, Group Engineering Manager, ABP; and Killian Casey, Group Engineering Manager, ABP Ireland & Northern Ireland. (Pic: Johnny Bambury)
