Energy is the largest overhead cost associated with seafood processing. Improving energy efficiency reduces greenhouse gas emissions and business’s carbon footprint. This can also bring about substantial cost savings across seafood processing sites.
Energy Management Under E.U. and Irish Climate Laws, Ireland is committed to reducing Green House Gas Emissions by 55% before 2030 and to net zero emissions by 2050. To achieve these important and ambitious targets there is a need to focus on energy use. Identifying key energy users and developing optimisation and reduction plans offers opportunities to improve the efficiency of energy use across processing sites. Analysing your bills, establishing your baseline use, and monitoring your consumption over time will allow you to understand if there are daily or seasonal fluctuations in your use and where savings can be made.
Key energy consumers in seafood processing operations often include lighting, water cooling/heating and the operation of machines, pumps, and motors. For most fish processors refrigeration systems are the major energy user. It is often responsible for up to 70% of the electricity bull. Improvements in refrigeration efficiency can result in substantial reductions in energy use and enable the seafood processing industry to reduce costs whilst also contributing to our national efforts to reduce in Green House Gas emissions.
To help seafood processors reduce their energy consumption associated with refrigeration and air conditioning systems, BIM are developing a Refrigeration Systems Guide with details of best practice for cold store, blast freezing, air conditioning and chilling operations.
Through research and financial assistance, BIM also encourages and supports the adoption of renewable energy technology across the entire seafood sector. Securing supply is an important long-term goal to futureproof business against volatile pricing and the possibility of shortages in fossil fuels. BIM supports investment in renewable energy technology through our grants for seafood processors.
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