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Energy efficiency important for industry growth

TOYOTA SOUTH AFRICA Toyota South Africa was recognised as Energy Company of the Year in November 2013

VOLKSWAGEN SOUTH AFRICA The Volkswagen Uitenhage plant can provide detailed indications of energy use at different plant sections

25th July 2014

By: Donna Slater

Features Deputy Editor and Chief Photographer

  

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The growth of the automotive industry, in South Africa and worldwide, is being influenced by the ways in which vehicle manufacturers are creating ways of using energy efficiently, according to government initiative the National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa (NCPC-SA).

The NCPC-SA offers participation in its Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) project to companies to enable them to reduce energy consumption – saving costs and minimising their carbon footprint.

NCPC-SA senior project manager Alf Hartzenburg tells Engineering News that a major driver of competitiveness in the automotive industry is the efficient use of energy.

“Automotive brands in South Africa are not only competing against each other anymore, they are competing against automotive industries in other countries. The automotive industry, as a whole, is becoming increasingly global,” he states.

Vehicle manufacturer Toyota South Africa was the first local manufacturer to participate in the IEE project, followed by Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen.

“Toyota engaged in a new way of conducting operations sustainably and systematically, which is different from the traditional Japanese method it followed,” says Hartzenburg.

He explains that the IEE project’s energy management systems approach takes between a year and 14 months to fully implement. “We provide full training for personnel on how to implement and use energy management systems. The training also serves to develop the capacities of vehicle manufacturing plants to motivate the energy management team, which is responsible for implementing the energy management system in the plant,” says Hartzenburg.

Once a team has been formed and trained and is motivated, Hartzenburg believes the team will be able to successfully implement an energy management system.

The energy management systems developed as part of the IEE project are based on the international energy management standard, ISO 50001.

Toyota Awarded
Toyota South Africa was awarded the Energy Company of the Year Award by the Southern African Association for Energy Efficiency in November 2013.

Hartzenburg explains that Toyota’s ability to rapidly implement energy efficient methods counted in its favour.

“In 2010, Toyota South Africa’s plants were performing relatively poorly in terms of energy efficiency. Within a year of implementation, Toyota South Africa ranked among the top five most energy efficient Toyota plants in the world,” says Hartzenburg.

In terms of the amount of energy used to produce a vehicle, Toyota South Africa is currently ranked in the top two in the world.

Hartzenburg notes that Toyota South Africa took a leap of faith in implementing energy efficient methods, as it had to change numerous “tried and tested” procedures.

Volkswagen Commitment
German vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen South Africa’s manufacturing plant, in Uitenhage, is committed to achieving ISO 50001 accreditation by the end of the year.

The plant is unique in the local automotive industry, in that it can provide detailed indications of energy use in different sections of the plant, for example, the paint booth, assembly line and press rooms.

“I am confident that Volkswagen will meet its deadline to achieve ISO 50001 certification, with the necessary resources and management commitment,” says Hartzenburg.

Training Workshops
The NCPC-SA offers workshops designed to motivate companies to realise the benefits of adopting energy efficient procedures.

A one-day workshop focuses on getting the buy-in from top-level management, and the two-day training course provides the context and understanding of how energy management systems are implemented and operated.

“These two-day training courses provide interested parties with enough information about methodologies and available software tools to allow them to develop and implement an energy management system, but it is in hosting the implementation of an expert-level training programme that plants can really see energy savings,” he says.

If a company is serious about implementing an energy management system, the IEE project can provide the year-long expert training programme, with an external consultant available to assist the energy manager of the plant, who, in turn, is responsible for implementing the energy management system.

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

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