Environment & environmental impacts

Production efficiency

Energy is an important factor in the processing of raw materials for plastic packaging. In this chapter, we focus on electrical energy, as electricity accounts for 95 per cent of our energy consumption, meaning it has the greatest influence on our overall production costs and on the environment.
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Energy consumption within the organization
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Energy intensity
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Energy consumption within the organization
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Energy intensity

ALPLA has striven to ensure efficient, responsible use of energy and resources for decades. It is a matter of course for us to use only the latest technologies in the interests of high customer benefits and the environment. ALPLA’s energy management is therefore highly developed, as demonstrated by comparative figures from within the industry.

ALPLA needed 2,260 GWh of electrical energy around the world in 2018, compared with 2,127 GWh in 2017.

The key performance indicator of specific energy consumption expresses energy consumption in relation to the material processed. In 2018, total energy consumption per kilogram of material processed totalled 1.043 MWh/tonne (including Technical Centers and offices). Thanks to a wide range of measures, examples of which are provided in the case studies below, we succeeded in further reducing this specific energy consumption during the reporting period from 1.104 MWh/tonne in 2015 to 1.043 MWh/kg in 2018. This corresponds to a reduction of 6.6 per cent.

Technology

It is a matter of course for us to use only the latest technologies in the interests of high customer benefits and the environment. ALPLA’s energy management is therefore highly developed, as demonstrated by comparative figures from within the industry.

Technology

It is a matter of course for us to use only the latest technologies in the interests of high customer benefits and the environment. ALPLA’s energy management is therefore highly developed, as demonstrated by comparative figures from within the industry.

The region with the greatest energy usage in 2018 was Western Europe (29.7 per cent), followed by Mexico and Central America (16.2 per cent) and Central and Eastern Europe (11.9 per cent).

Energy management at ALPLA

For ALPLA, a state-of-the-art infrastructure is the key factor in energy management. A dedicated team conducts annual plant energy assessments at selected sites. Five to six locations are assessed each year on average. Our experts analyse the production plants’ energy consumption and efficiency. Based on the results and in accordance with the future economic development of each facility, an individual action plan is drawn up.

The savings potential following a successful assessment ranges from 10 to 15 per cent. Around one third of savings are made possible through investments in new systems and equipment or through modernisation projects. Two thirds are achieved through organisational measures and process optimisations, particularly with regard to compressed air.

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Explanation of the material topic and its Boundaries
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The management approach and its components
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Evaluation of the management approach
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Explanation of the material topic and its Boundaries
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The management approach and its components
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Evaluation of the management approach

We will increase our energy efficiency globally by 3.5 per cent by 2022 in comparison to 2018.

GOAL: Production energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions

Systematic energy management plays a part in sustainably reducing energy consumption, energy costs and emissions. For us, it is essential that the plants’ specific energy consumption is reduced or remains stable based on the same configuration. This is ensured through continuous checks and employee training. The regional energy managers log the key figures and take appropriate steps where necessary.

Certification and training

All plant energy assessments are carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the ISO 50001 energy management standard. The European plants are subject to the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive, and the prescribed audits are carried out there by external auditors every four years. Based on our positive experience with certification in accordance with ISO 50001 as introduced in certain regions in 2012 and the resultant steady improvements in energy usage, all of our plants within the European Union will have ISO 50001 certification by the end of 2019.

All employees responsible for energy management and plant engineering receive regular training. In the future, we also want to set up special training for employees in relation to maintenance.

More clean electricity for ALPLA


Martin Stark, Director of Corporate Plant Engineering, and his team are responsible among other things for ensuring that the ALPLA plants have an electricity supply.
 

Interview with Martin Stark

Case Studies

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

An especially efficient so-called adiabatic cooling system (evaporative cooling) was installed to cool the hydraulics. This allowed the hydraulics cooling to be separated from the mould cooling and the hydraulics temperature to be increased by several degrees to 43°C. The air compressor station was also renewed. In all, specific energy consumption fell from 1.6 to 1.3 kWh/kg – a reduction of close to 20 per cent.

Project manager: Guilhoto Joao
Carbon reduction: 151 tonnes per annum

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Humidity is very high in subtropical countries such as India. The air at the production plants has to be dehumidified in order to maintain the functioning of the tools and equipment. This involves a lot of energy and high costs. The dehumidification equipment/drying wheel at the plant in Pashamylaram was originally regenerated using electrical energy. A specially developed solution made it possible for the air compressor’s waste heat to be used for this instead.

Project manager: Mani Lalit Gopal
Carbon reduction: 204 tonnes per annum

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Project description: The plant’s most energy-intensive areas were identified thanks to the systematic logging of the entire plant’s energy consumption. These were then optimised or replaced over a period of three years. Among other things, the cooling system was updated, an old air dryer was replaced and all the lighting was converted to LED technology.

Project manager: Garry Blackmann
Carbon reduction: 425 tonnes per annum