Verco writes for The Manufacturer on net zero implementation

Verco’s Thanos Patsos has recently written articles for the Manufacturer. He discusses net zero implementation for manufacturers, reviewing the common pitfalls and how to avoid these traps along with expert tips on how to achieve net zero success.

Net zero roadmaps in detail.

In this article, Thanos reviews what a net zero roadmap should look like and discusses the common pitfalls that manufacturers often come across as well as how to overcome them.

He suggests some common traps that manufacturers can often fall into as a result of plans being too short-term (1-3 years) rather than having an operational strategy with a much longer timeframe (5-10 years).

Common traps:

Short-term plans (with short-term advantages) being created in isolation of the longer term strategy which may mean that the two are incompatible.
Focussing on ‘big-hitter’ projects which might not be prioritising optimisation and demand reduction.
Spending more Capex and being left with higher levels of Opex as a result of treating net zero as a capital project challenge.

But these traps can be avoided through detailed planning and here are some tips to help:

Focus on reduction of carbon relating to heating. For most manufacturing companies the final elimination of carbon relating to heating will be the final step but will likely need significant investment and have risk attached.
All abatement measures need to be a bottom-up process, linked with
Resourcing: Group Sustainability are likely to oversee and co-ordinate the process. Not all departments and business units need be involved in every step, but they should understand their role and how to perform it.
Assess alignment of interventions against future technology solutions. Develop a strategy for the hard-to-abate areas and an initial plan based on “no-regret” or “in any case” measures.
Get your data in order. Data integration is often a lot more cost-effective than perceived and the detail can incentivise key stakeholders and decision makers though early project successes.
Timescales: Implement no-regret actions right away but plan transformational projects in parallel so they are phased appropriately. This ensures feasibility studies are developed, business innovation is translated into a net zero plan and business growth is aligned with the net zero strategy.

Read the full Manufacturer article here

Putting your net zero site plan into action.

In his second article, Thanos suggests three key steps that can be taken to increase your chances of a successful and cost-effective net zero implementation programme:

Development of a sustainable data strategy including data integration and metering. For example determine type, quantity and frequency of information required as well as internal skills.
Pilot bottom-up deep-dive assessment of operations for proof of concept and to identify barriers, project interrelations and critical timings.
Complete onsite/ near site renewable technology assessment to narrow down options for future (cost effective) technology deployment.

Read the Manufacturer article here

Watch our webinar recording: Putting your site net zero plan into action.

Find out more and watch the webinar