European initiative to advance energy efficiency and reduction of emissions in the food industry
Ainia He participates in a macro project from Germany, Poland, Austria and United Kingdom 14 European partners for improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions that includes different very valuable initiatives for the food sector. Among them, the technological assistance to 200 companies, a guide to energy efficiency with solutions adapted to SMEs to optimize processes, a wikiweb with examples of good practice, virtual energy competition and specialized training centres. Move towards greater energy efficiency and a reduction of emissions of CO2 are two major challenges facing the European food industry today. In this sense, the EU raises a set of guidelines in order to reduce global warming, ensuring energy supply and improve the competitiveness of enterprises.
The overall objective of the project 'Greenfoods' is to ensure and promote competitiveness, security of energy supply and ensure the sustainable production in Europe using other alternative energies. It started in April of 2013 and is co-funded by the European Union's Intelligent Energy programme. Involving 4 Spanish partners - companies Aiguasol, Escan, the Federation of industries of food and beverage (FIAB) and Ainia technology centre - along with other organizations in Germany, Poland, Austria and United Kingdom, to lead Europe towards a high energy efficiency food industry and consequently reducing emissions
The project is especially aimed at the following sub-sectors of the food industries: dairy, meat, production of bread, processed products of the sea, baby food, beverages (juices, beer) and animal feed. Greenfoods launches as well, over the next 28 months a series of initiatives of value to European food companies related to improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions. Thus the enterprises food to participate in this project will benefit from the following activities:
- Access to one of the 200 basic energy studies carried out by specialists of the project. These studies will analyse energy flows of the company (especially the generation and use of heat and cold in the productive processes) in order to detect possible energy efficiency measures, such as the recovery and use of waste heat flows. We will also study the possibilities of integration of renewable sources of energy such as solar or biomass. Companies that decide to participate in this project will have the opportunity to have an overview about their energy consumption and how to significantly reduce your energy bill through the implementation of identified measures. From among the 200 companies studied, 20 will be selected to perform more detailed energy audits. Finally, 5 companies willing to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy that will benefit from an additional technical support from the project will be selected. He is expected to reduce the current broadcast at 600 tonnes a year.
- Access the service ' Greenfoods Branch concept' which combines technological expertise in food production with the knowledge of energy efficiency and renewable energy, and represents a guide primarily responsible for the management of energy industries and consultants energy to identify solutions adapted to SMEs to optimize its processes and its energy supply. The service has a tool to quantify and optimize flows of energy and materials, the use of primary energy, emissions of CO2, the use of renewable energies and the technical and economic evaluation of suitable technologies. The tool is complemented by guides of support for the implementation and management of energy in SMEs.
- The project will also study existing funding mechanisms, the lack of funding is a barrier to the implementation of innovative technologies such as the use of renewable energy sources or the implementation of measures of energy efficiency, especially in the case of SMEs.
- The Wikiweb of Greenfoods project will bring together all the above information as well as a compendium of technologies providing energy and processed together with examples of good practices: this tool on-line will be available free of charge for the food & beverage industries.
- Greenfoods will develop a specific training course that will be offered in each of the participating countries. The course will be included as an additional module in the successful course called EUREM (European Energy Manager Course). It will include essential knowledge on intelligent technologies and cleaner in the food & beverage sector, will introduce participants to the use of the Branch Concept and will inform about the possibilities of financing available.
- Finally, it is expected that to develop virtual energy competency centers in each of the participating countries, which will continue with the dissemination of knowledge and act as a single window for the dissemination of information and tools generated by the project after its completion, from July 2015.
