Project results
Savings and capacity building.
Summary evaluation of results achieved by the participating companies
The project aimed on economic as well as ecological benefits. The participating Indian companies could identify under guidance of the EU experts various measures (in total more than 200 concrete measures) of environmental protection and cost reduction through decline in material usage and energy utilisation.
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The 206 measures identified by the Indian companies during the project have already generated a reasonable number of savings in terms of money, energy and water.
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Almost 60 % of all measures are organisational changes or good housekeeping options.
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Almost 1/3 of all measures are technological modifications.
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Almost 60 % of all measures have an amortisation time below two years.
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The main focus of the participating companies was a reduction of energy consumption, consumption of water and of raw and auxiliary materials, because in this areas they can achieve the most economic and ecological benefits.
Capacity building in environmental management and cleaner production for the participating companies
The most important aspects, in which the participating companies could increase capacity building are mentioned below:
Preventive Environment Protection (PEP Concept) - The concept has been introduced to the participants to show, how an organisation can achieve PEP Concept by adopting the Cleaner Production Strategy. They companies have learned to deal with their waste problems by adopting Cleaner Production by investigating the root of waste generation i.e. from where and why, waste generates, instead of thinking of end of the pipe solutions. Waste can be avoided, if not, then it can be reduced, if again not, then it can maybe be recycled. Wastes and emissions are input materials that have been bought for money and have not been converted into products that can be sold for money. Waste is more or less the material, which has not been used efficiently.
Process evaluation by material balance for waste reduction - The participants have learned, that only minor adjustments in the process can decrease the waste to a notable extent. For example the chemical dosing in the process plants is one of most common and potential options for the improvement in waste reduction. Decreasing or increasing 5-10% of the chemical dose is common practice in the industries, because the majority of operators does not understand the effects. This practice however leads to unstable process conditions, quality problems, and unnecessary waste and emissions. Thus by material balances (process, units, etc), graphical evaluation, methodical help (quality circles, etc), brainstorming with employees in a team, by learning about the problems and solutions of other branches/sectors, literature search and also by adopting technical evaluation in the company, one can get the options for the improvements in the CP.
Environmental Team Development as method to improve the working efficiency - The project showed the advantages of working with an Environmental Team. Some success stories of organisations from Austria were presented, who are improving day by day their environmental performances by adopting teamwork. It was discussed that the team should represent different departments of the same organisation to combine the view and the technological knowledge from various sectors within the organisation together and thus help in improving all the sectors. This approach also provides motivation among the workers to use their personal creativity to find better solutions for their processes.
Material flow analysis - was described as a systematic inventory of the way a chemical element, a compound or a material passing through their pysical and economical cycle. It was explained, that the material flow analysis is based upon the physical balance principle.
Energy analysis - As all the participants were from energy intensive companies, this topic was of great importance for them as mentioned by the participants several times during all the workshops and company visits. The results of their efforts lead to major savings especially from good housekeeping measures and minor technological changes in the energy supply and distribution systems of the plants. Participants have learned to conduct the energy analysis, which will serve as the base for a successful future energy management. Below mentioned are the important aspects learned by the Participants for conducting the energy analysis for their own organisation: to understand the importance of a systemic analysis of the companies energy system (consisting of energy supply, conversion, distribution, consumption, and disposal), which data have to be collected and how to identify potentials for savings out of them, options and potentials for energy saving: renewable energy sources, weekly curves interpretation, energy conversion equipments, energy distribution path analysis, consumption points analysis, heating and air conditioning process evaluation, heat disposal and recovery, etc.
Indicators - the environment controlling elements - While discussing the Environmental programme and indicators in one of the workshop session, the elements of environmental controlling were presented. Starting from policy & goals, mass & energy balance analysis, planning, implementing and control for better environmental performance and other such sensible topics needed for a better management in an organisation were explained to the participants. The sessions on indicators showed the relevance of Ecoprofit for Environment Management Systems. Relative indicators, which connect environmental effects (emissions, consumption of energy and materials) with production characteristics like costs, number of employees etc, were discussed, to illustrate how an organization can set and then reach their improvement targets with the help of indicators.