Project
From lifting pallets to lifting the green agenda
The Danish pallet lifter manufacturer Ole Almeborg A/S has developed a new sustainability strategy with the With the assistance of NIRAS.
The Danish pallet lifter manufacturer Ole Almeborg A/S is approaching its green agenda in a consistent and efficient way. NIRAS has assisted the company in producing an audit and identifying six areas of intervention.
June 8, 2020
- SDG: #6, #7, #8, #12, #15, #9
- SECTORS: Food & Beverage, Pharma and Life Science
- COUNTRIES: Denmark
- CLIENT: Ole Almeborg A/S
The Danish producer of material handling equipment Ole Almeborg A/S is determined to take the green agenda on board and make it an integral part of the company’s procedures.
With the assistance of NIRAS a new sustainability strategy was developed, including an action plan. Ole Almeborg A/S chose the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework and selected a focus on water, energy, operational health and safety, CO2 emissions, waste, and biodiversity.
In order to identify the best areas of improvement and intervention, NIRAS conducted a production audit for the company. NIRAS identified and investigated 25 different opportunities.
Out of these options, six areas were chosen to be implemented:
- Implement continuous improvement for sustainability.
- Replacement of heating and cooling system in the offices with energy efficient heat pumps
- Leakage repairs on compressed air system.
- Green procurement policy.
- Replacement of painting tunnel that uses less energy and emits less chemicals.
- Replacement of fluorescent lighting with LED to save energy.
“We have always had focus on reducing energy, water and material consumption, but the consultants from NIRAS opened our eyes to the fact that sustainability has more to it than that.”
Michael Almeborg, Managing Director, Ole Almeborg A/S
Millions in annual sustainable savings
The company decided to make a total investment of 5,2 mill. DKK, and in return it will have a yearly saving of 3.0 mill. DKK.
For managing director Michael Almeborg the result came as a surprise. The company was about to invest in a solar PV facility on the fields besides the plant to provide energy.
However, NIRAS’ calculations showed that other investments provided much more sustainability for the same amount of invested money.
“The consultants asked us to cease all investments until the prioritized list of opportunities were made. I’m glad we followed that advise”, says Michael Almeborg.
The discussions of choosing and not choosing opportunities provided a practical basis for handling future opportunities. The company accepted a payback time up to 4 years for the investments in green improvement which is considerably longer than for not-green improvements.
Sustainability produces value for company
Ole Almeborg A/S produces custom pallet lifters for especially pharmaceutical companies and Food & Beverages businesses. Companies in these sectors are increasingly focusing on sustainability, which also includes sustainability at supplier level.
Therefore it provides value for Ole Almeborg A/S to systematically reduce their environmental impact.
“We have always had focus on reducing energy, water and material consumption, but the consultants from NIRAS opened our eyes to the fact that sustainability has more to it than that,” says Michael Almeborg.
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