Ireland's big employers reduce energy costs by E60m

Ireland’s largest employers knocked E60 million off their energy costs in 2008 through efficiency measures, energy minister Eamon Ryan announced yesterday at the Sustainable Energy Ireland global conference on energy management in Farmleigh, Dublin.

Energy experts from over 20 countries including the US, Japan, Italy and Finland gathered to hear about how Ireland’s large enterprises have reduced their energy demand through implementing an energy demand standard.

Intel, Diageo, Pfizer, Glanbia and Tesco are among the 122 members of SEI’s Large Energy Network (LIEN), which collectively reduced its energy costs by E60 million in 2008.  According to SEI, these savings are the latest in a strong trend that has seen some of Ireland’s leading companies improve their energy efficiency by an average of 30 per cent over the last decade.

Launching the annual LIEN report at the conference Minister Ryan said: “Ireland’s large enterprises are developing innovative energy solutions and moving towards exporting their energy expertise. This is vital to developing the green economy and will support jobs and innovative industry into the future.  It also builds upon Ireland’s foundation as a leader in the area of energy management, which we are delighted to share with our international colleagues attending today’s conference in Farmleigh.”

Commenting, Professor Owen Lewis, CEO SEI, said:  “€60 million in savings is of huge importance in these economic times. It demonstrates again that many Irish companies are very successfully improving their energy performance and reducing costs. Ireland is building an international reputation for success in advanced energy management. “

SEI’s LIEN programme has been in place for 15 years.  Participants in the programme represent over 60 per cent of Ireland’s industrial energy use and collectively had energy costs in excess of E1 billion in 2008.