Global air filtration expert Parker Hannifin has demonstrated substantial savings following the first full year of implementation of its carbon reduction strategy, aimed at achieving carbon neutral operations by 2024.

In 2022, Parker Hannifin established a year-on-year emissions reduction target of 3% from a 2019 benchmark.

The Parker Hannifin gas turbine filtration division, for example, reduced emissions by about 13% within the first year under its enhanced environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) plan.

As part of the strategy, Parker Hannifin created performance metrics around each individual division, such as the gas turbine business, to empower each division to drive a positive change in the company’s transition to net-zero carbon.

The emissions baseline in 2019 was around 946 000 t of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) across the gas turbine division. The policy was introduced at the start of the last financial year in July 2022. In the first year of implementation the figure had already decreased to 823 000 t CO₂e, which translates to a reduction of roughly 13%. 

One significant measure adopted in the 2023 financial year was to install a new roof at the Parker Hannifin manufacturing facility in Alton, in the UK.

This resulted in a substantial reduction in gas and energy consumption. Further, as part of this project a secondary layer was added to the existing roof, improving the building’s overall energy efficiency.

The company has also implemented energy consumption reduction measures, including voltage optimisation, finding and addressing compressed air system leaks, and changing all the lighting in Parker Hannifin’s Alton and Slater facilities to light-emitting diodes using passive infrared detectors.

Some of the energy efficiency improvements extended to the filter manufacturing process, with tightly controlled temperatures for glue points and use of automatic timers rather than operating 24 hours a day, as was the case previously.

Lowering the set point on air compressors to run optimally has also resulted in savings and the energy monitoring and data loggers across the distribution system will allow Parker Hannifin to identify where further savings may be achieved in the future.

Parker Gas Turbine Filtration Group division engineering and quality manager Timothy A Ajayi, commenting on the impressive headway toward the net-zero goal stated, that the company is “very proud of the progress [it has] made in improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions in just one year”.

“We have a long way to go to reach net zero, but our results demonstrate what can be achieved with a concerted company-wide effort. We look forward to continuing our energy performance journey in years to come,” he concluded.