Energy efficiency poor in tea and sugar sectors, EPRA finds
A new study by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory (EPRA) has found Kenya’s tea and sugar sectors to be having less energy efficiency when compared to other sector and their foreign counterparts.
According to the Energy Performance Benchmarking Study for Designated Energy Consuming Facilities by the authority, the average Energy Use Index for the tea sector was 0.57 kWh/kg of made tea while for wood energy, the EUI was 3.83 m3 /ton of made tea. The combined EUI for tea processing in Kenya was 31.96 GJ/ton.
This is more than India, which recorded 30.6 GJ/ton2 and Sri Lanka, at 31.23 GJ/ ton3.
“There is need for Kenyan tea industry to improve on their EUI in order to better compete with their counterparts from these countries. The total electrical energy consumption for the two years under study was 231336 MWh, while the wood consumption was 1540636m3,” said EPRA.
The energy efficiency study seeks to guide the adoption of energy efficiency measures in large and medium institutions and manufacturing companies
“Energy benchmarking, is invaluable in identification of energy inefficiencies in production processes and estimating potential energy savings. As we move forward, we will collaborate closely with sector players to develop energy performance benchmarking models for each of the seven industries,” said Daniel Kiptoo EPRA Director General.
The benchmark which is currently being presented to industry stakeholders for input aspires to set minimum energy performance benchmarking metrics through establishment of energy benchmarking models.
The Energy (Energy Management) Regulations 2012 requires any establishment that consumes more than 180,000kWh per year to conduct an energy audit every three years.
“The models will guide in the calculation of the energy efficiency ratio cut-off points for these facilities. The benchmarks will once adopted will improve energy efficiency in designated facilities, ultimately lowering the overall cost of production,” he added.
The study targeted cement, sugar, tea, dairy, flower farms, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and hotel subsectors.
The post Energy efficiency poor in tea and sugar sectors, EPRA finds first appeared on KBC.
The post Energy efficiency poor in tea and sugar sectors, EPRA finds appeared first on KBC.
