Unilever - Case study: Cutting CO2 emissions
Unilever continues to invest in more efficient technology,
and the development of less energy-intensive manufacturing
processes, as part of a global drive that has seen the
company achieve a 39% reduction in CO2 from energy per
tonne of production since 1995.
At its Gloucester ice cream factory, for instance, the
company has reduced more than 2,000 tonnes of CO2
production per year through the installation of a Combined
Heat and Power plant. The 2.4MW plant is primarily
fuelled by natural gas and the power produced reduces
the electricity costs of the manufacturing operation. As
a by-product, heat in the form of hot water and steam is
produced and this is reused in the ice cream manufacturing
process.
Unilever's Marmite factory in Burton upon Trent uses an
anaerobic digester which produces biogas from the waste
by-product of the manufacturing process to provide energy
for the factory. Using the biogas reduces the company's use
of natural gas to power the factory.
Around 25% of gas now
comes from this source, which means Unilever is saving
about 20% on total energy usage at this factory.
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