How data insight helped a food manufacturer hit the road to net zero

Within just four weeks of using RS Industria, Kerry reduced energy consumption at a UK site by 14%.

Gaining an understanding of site-wide energy consumption relies on the right data. Without knowing how, when, and where energy is being used, the ability to make meaningful savings is impossible.

Kerry is part of Kerry Group, a global leader in taste and nutrition. Its Worcestershire-based Tenbury Wells site produces sweet and fruit ingredients, including preserves, fillings, sauces, and toppings.

Kerry Group is committed to its vision for a sustainable future, with a focus on areas including nutrition, climate action, recycling, society, and responsible sourcing.

The company is working to drive down GHG emissions from its operations by 2030 while striving to improve water efficiency by 15% within the next two years. This includes a focus on the quality of water leaving its sites to protect local waterways.

In the dark

In response to its over-arching sustainability goals, and against a backdrop of soaring energy costs, Kerry’s Tenbury Wells site was challenged to make meaningful energy savings.

However, with little insight into how, when, and where energy was being used, energy-efficiency projects were difficult to implement.

By leveraging the power of RS Industria, the Kerry team was able to understand its energy consumption at its site and work out from the resulting data how it could reduce usage without affecting production volumes.

Shine a light on savings

So how did RS Industria help Kerry engineers achieve their goals?

By connecting existing submeters to the RS Industria network and installing new sub-meters in other key locations and production lines, RS Industria could give the team a clear and real-time picture of energy consumption, right down to asset, line, location, and timing.

Using the insight, the RS team was able to identify areas of high usage and make changes immediately. The result? A drop in consumption within just four weeks. Crucially, the insight has also generated a site-wide energy-saving culture amongst staff, who have since made further changes to operating procedures to maximise energy savings.

Ben Botwright, Kerry’s Engineering Manager, explains: “Having data to be able to influence behaviours and make improvements is fantastic, and the benefit of the Industria system is that you can see the impact of any changes very quickly. We’ve been able to influence people’s decisions and behaviours, by giving them basic information.

To find out how RS Industria can help you drive down energy costs and put you on the path to Net Zero, contact us today.

You can read the full Kerry case study, here.