Impressive results of the Energy plan for our Mouscron plants
Energy plan for Mouscron plants leads to impressive results
We try to be as transparent as possibly can, without jeopardising our competitive advantage. We’re happy to share a number of concrete actions and the results that they entail. The energy improvement plan of the Sioen site in Mouscron (Belgium) resulted in a CO₂ reduction of approximately 1900 tonnes/year and an energy reduction of 5600 mWh/year. An impressive result that required an investment of about one million Euros.
Situation
In Mouscron, Belgium, Sioen operates 4 production plants: a spinning mill, a weaving mill, a coating plant and an extrusion plant. All four require energy for their daily operations. In addition, the Mouscron site includes a major dispatch and distribution centre for garments that we produce overseas.
The first manufacturing on the Mouscron site dates from 1998 (Transfer Coating), followed by the inauguration of the spinning and the weaving mill in 2000. Ever since the very beginning, we’ve been investing in energy improvement plans and even investigating (and implementing!) how we can generate renewable sustainable energy on site.
Energy efficiency – a group effort
We’ve put a company-wide energy assessment plan assessing the energy efficiency and energy saving potentials. Additionally, we want to evaluate future trends and opportunities, so that possible measures can be identified, defined and assessed for their ability to drive energy efficiency uptake across all companies of the Sioen Industries group.
Although we’re always starting with small pilot projects to prove business value, our overall study presents a high-level overview of the energy use profile, energy saving opportunities and implementation barriers.
Energy improvement plan
In 2005, we’ve started a continuous improvement plan for the Mouscron site. This resulted in many ideas that were translated into actions, thus optimising our energy use. The improvements are:
- Insulation
- Chilled water
- Compressed air
- Leaks in the compressed air network
- Compressed air network 7 bar
- Compressed air network 13 bar
- Exhausting hot air from compressors
- Heat generation in the spinning mill
- Monitoring the percentage of imported fresh air in the crystallisers
- Variable flow rate at wet cooling towers
- Lighting
- Weaving and warping mill
- Twisting mill
- Spinning mill
You can find detailed information for these 10 major subjects in case studies on this CSR website.
Generating renewable energy
The plan also includes the generation of renewable energy. We’ve installed solar panels and are looking into other sources of renewable energy.
What, how and how much you can find out in the article: Generating renewable energy in Mouscron production site.
SDGs
Sioen is set on technology and boasts a very sophisticated production apparatus. All these actions to maintain a leading position in sustainable and resilient infrastructure development also help realise the targets that are set in SDG 9. Target 9.4. states that “by 2030, infrastructure should be upgraded and industries retrofitted to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes. “
Our “Energy plan” also ensures sustainable production as set in the targets of SDG 12 and of SDG 7 about sustainable energy.
Ultimately, every action is contributing to realising the goals set in SDG 13, regarding climate actions.
Ongoing process
There are many projects in the pipeline:
- Replacing of some pumps in the cooling circuits of the spinning mill
- Installation of solar panel (419 Kwp)
- Establishing improvement paths for Sioen Fabrics Coating and for the CDU (distribution centre)
- Finding synergies and inspiration at and improvement paths for other Sioen plants-