Member Article

Northumberland manufacturer wins international energy award

Hexham-based EGGER is the first wood-based panel board manufacturer in the UK to be awarded the ISO 50001:2011 standard for its Energy Management System.

The international accreditation is only awarded to companies that satisfy a rigorous, external auditing programme and can demonstrate an ongoing commitment to efficiently use energy to further reduce the environmental impact of their activities.

Paul Turner, environmental, health & safety manager at EGGER, explains: “As a chipboard manufacturer operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, our processes are energy intensive.

“Gaining the ISO 50001 standard is therefore a major accomplishment for a company such as ours. To underline our commitment to continually improve our energy usage, we took the decision to appoint a technologist specifically for energy management.

“Joan Iborra Rubio has been a key member of the team responsible for successfully implementing this programme, and his role will help us to minimise our environmental footprint and our production costs on an ongoing basis.”

With over 600 employees on-site, EGGER is the largest manufacturing company in Northumberland. Since 2006, it has invested over £200m at the site and in the last five years alone has ploughed more than £90m into highly energy-efficient plant, machinery and processes to reduce fossil-fuel consumption.

This has included a new glue-making plant, a fifth lamination line and the replacement of a second impregnation line, as well as new technology on the chipboard line which enables the company to increase its production.

Joan Iborra Rubio, technologist in energy management at EGGER, commented: “It is extremely satisfying to work for such a successful manufacturing company that is so focused on reducing its environmental impact.

“The ISO 50001 accreditation acts as another incentive for us to continue with our aim to further reduce energy usage, and will operate alongside our existing ISO 14001 Environmental Management System.”

To achieve the ISO 50001:2011 standard the company worked closely with BM TRADA Certification Ltd.

Dr Keith Jones, lead auditor at BM TRADA Certification Ltd added: “I congratulate EGGER on achieving the ISO 50001:2011 Energy Management System Certification. Throughout my dealings with the company, I have found them to be thoroughly committed to minimising the impact their activities have on the environment, accreditation to their Energy Management System certainly enhances this commitment.”

“The ISO 50001:2011 Energy Management System is an internationally recognised standard that provides a framework for organisations to control, maintain and improve an energy management system. The standard aims to ensure organisations will continually improve their energy performance and promote energy-management best-practice, initiate high levels of energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption and assist in evaluating and prioritising the implementation of new energy-efficient technologies.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by publicrelations consultancy.com .