Improving energy efficiency

 

Cargill has made outstanding progress to improve its energy efficiency over the last decade as a result of numerous investments enhancements in our manufacturing businesses deploying people, process and technology solutions to conserve resources across our supply chains.  While operations remains a focus, solutions range from transportation to offices as well. 

Cargill first established goals for energy efficiency in 2000.  Looking ahead, Cargill’s goal is to improve energy efficiency by 5 percent by 2015 from our fiscal year 2010 baseline. Cargill made strong progress toward this goal during fiscal year 2011 with more than a 3 percent improvement in energy efficiency over our 2010 baseline.

• Cargill Value Added Meats-Foodservice in London, Ontario installed lighting upgrades including Light-emitting Diode (LED), T5 Fluorescent lighting and motion sensors to reduce its overall energy use. As a result, energy use in these areas dropped 51 percent. When this lighting initiative is complete the plant estimates that its overall energy consumption will drop by 1 percent over its 2010 baseline. This may seem small but it is a significant improvement for the 170,000 square-foot plant. The new lighting is also improving workplace safety since employees work areas are lit more brightly and evenly. Like many other Cargill energy efficiency initiatives, this project was born out of the company’s Behavior Based Energy Management system, a company-wide program that engages employees in identifying and implementing ways to save energy.
• See how Cargill is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR program.
• Through Cargill’s Behavior Based Energy Management (BBEM) system – a tool which engages employees to integrate energy management into daily steps and actions to conserve resources in recognizing and eliminating energy inefficiencies.

Engaged employees contribute to energy efficiencies:

• Cargill’s Behavior Based Energy Management (BBEM) system – a tool which engages employees to integrate energy management into daily decisions to conserve resources – is being deployed on a global basis. During fiscal 2011, nearly 200 Cargill facilities conducted rigorous self assessments to identify opportunities to improve performance and conserve resources. Outcome of these assessments include:
  • A leak tag program at one location identified and repaired more than 400 air, steam and water leaks.
  • Water conservation is also driven by deployment of behavior based energy management programs. 

Since first implementing BBEM in 2008, the program has helped identify significant energy savings opportunities such as improving the efficiency of thermal energy systems at our plants by identifying and fixing leaky pipes, ensure equipment is operated only when needed reducing lighting costs, changing air conditioning patterns to cool meat more efficiently and improving communications.