FSi Promat cuts carbon emissions by 50 per cent

by Featured NewsHealth and Safety

Fire stopping specialist FSi Promat has announced that they have successfully reduced carbon emissions in a key part of its manufacturing process by 52.5 per cent by switching to a demand responsive system.

By changing the way that a high-pressure air compressor is used at the company’s Measham factory, FSi Promat has reduced the carbon emissions generated through the system by more than half.

Features of the production process

A vital part of the production process, the system supplies high pressure compressed air to machinery, used in mixing sealants and coatings.

Installing a variable speed air compressor to replace its existing fixed speed one, means that the system is only using energy when it is actively needed, vastly cutting down the energy that was required for the previous ‘always on’ system.

Switching the machine is one of a number of changes the company has made to support more environmentally efficient operations, including installing a new system to reduce the amount of low-risk wastewater it generates by approximately 550,000 litres a year, moving to sensor-based lighting and using renewable energy.

The manufacturer has also changed shift patterns to support a 30 per cent reduction in energy use by condensing the running time of machinery.

Engineering and Facilities Manager, FSi Promat, Tim Roe’s statement

Tim Roe, Engineering and Facilities Manager at FSi Promat, said: “Since starting at FSi Promat two years ago I have been looking for ways to improve the energy efficiency of the operation to support the company’s sustainability goals – and those of the wider Etex company.

“This was something I noticed that could make an immediate impact on energy use and that would not have any effect on the manufacturing process at all. The fixed speed air compressor always needed to be on, whether it was being used or not and moving to a variable speed compressor was an obvious choice.

“Installed with minimal disruption, this is a like-for-like switch but due to only being engaged when the compressed air is needed it has seen a considerable reduction in the energy used to power it.

“While safety must remain at the forefront in passive fire protection products, FSi Promat is constantly looking for ways to support more energy efficient operations. Here a relatively simple upgrade has made a considerable impact, and we continue to look for other changes we could make.”

Our carbon emissions have been cut by 50 per cent, announce FSi Promat: Summary

FSi Promat has announced that they have been able to successfully reduce carbon emissions in a key part of its manufacturing process by 52.5 per cent by switching to a demand responsive system.

Summer wildfire emissions in Europe highest for 15 years

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

Carbon emissions from wildfires in the European Union and the United Kingdom for summer 2022 reached its highest levels since 2007, largely driven by emissions from wildfires in southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula in recent months, Copernicus has reported.

The August heatwave that hit western Europe, combined with prolonged dry conditions, saw increased levels of wildfire activity and intensity in the region ove the summer.

Wildfire activity in August contributed a total cumulative burnt area in the EU over the summer months (4 June to 3 Sept) of 508,260 hectares, compared to a 2006-2021 average of 215,548 hectares for the same period, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

The total cumulative burnt area in the EU from the start of the year to 3 September amounts to over 750,000 hectares, compared to an average of just over 260,000 hectares in 2006-2021.

This increased activity is also reflected in smoke emissions (including carbon gases, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds) from wildfires.

Data from the CAMS Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS) shows that total wildfire emissions in the EU and the United Kingdom between 1 June and 31 August in 2022 are estimated at 6.4 megatonnes of carbon, the highest level since 2007.

In France as a whole, wildfires destroyed over 62,000 hectares from the start of the year to 3 September, six times the full-year average for 2006-2021, according to EFFIS data.

GFAS data show both France and Spain recording the highest carbon emissions from June to August since 2003. Comparing different years in the 20-year GFAS dataset helps to provide context for current fire emissions.

In other regions of Europe, Slovenia, Czechia, Hungary and Germany saw significant wildfire activity. In Germany, the cumulative burnt area amounted to 4,293 hectares, almost double the previous maximum of 2,437 hectares and significantly higher than the 2006-2021 average of just over 330 hectares, according to EFFIS data.

CAMS Senior Scientist and wildfire expert Mark Parrington commented: “The scale and persistence of the fires in the southwest of Europe, leading to the highest emissions for Europe in 15 years, was extremely concerning throughout the summer.

“The majority of the fires occurred in places where the changing climate has increased flammability of the vegetation, such as in southwestern Europe, and as we have seen in other regions in other years. CAMS is now closely monitoring the current fire emissions and smoke transport in the Amazon region, and across South America, as the peak fire season approaches in the coming weeks.”