Insulation and CO2 Emissions: New EiiF Report

A recent study carried out by the European Industrial Insulation Foundation (EiiF) shows that a massive 14 Mtoe (mega tonnes of oil equivalent) could be saved by improving the standards of insulation in EU industry. This is a vital step in meeting the EU's target of being climate-neutral, with net-zero CO2, by 2050.

The energy and industry supply of the EU accounts for 49% of all the EU's CO2 emissions. Decarbonising industry is therefore one of the biggest challenges to meeting the EU's climate-neutral target.

Instead of implementing more energy-efficient insulation systems, there is a tendency in industry to simply insulate less. A number of factors contribute to this tendency, including divided respon­sibi­lities for maintenance and energy budgets, a lack of knowledge regarding insulation and increasing pressure to reduce costs in terms of both maintenance and investment.

As well as offering plenty of potential for reductions in CO2 emissions, the insulation of uninsulated equipment and the repair of damaged insulation can also deliver large cost savings, with impressively short payback periods ranging from a few months to two years on average. The EiiF report gave the following example:

The roof of an old storage tank used to contain oil at a temperature of 60 °C had become corroded and required replacement. In the belief that the old insulation was the cause of the corrosion issue, the refinery's owner planned to build a new roof without insulation. This new roof, the size of a football field would, without insulation, have produced 1,900 tonnes of CO2 every year, losing 9,500 MWh of energy and incurring €240,000 energy costs.

After being shown an expert analysis, the owner agreed to install an insulation system, which reduced energy usage by 7,500MWh and energy costs by €185,000. The system also reduced CO2 emissions by a massive 1,500 tonnes per year.

Tanks are traditionally clad with stainless steel; usually this corrugated but sometimes flat sheet including DryMet on the inside. The cladding is secured with a combination of rivets at the peak of the corrugation (which prevent damage to the insulation material) along with stainless steel banding. The stainless steel banding gives additional strength against high winds and can be used in conjunction with compression/­expansion springs which allow for any thermal expansion.

The vital cladding can be supplied by BS Stainless in traditional stainless steel or PVDF coated such as CoolMet, helping to reduce insulation by reflecting heat away and also enhancing.  The green values of the product are increased when replaced as part of the refurbishment as the material is 100% recyclable, as well as being a valuable commodity.

Find out more about how BS Stainless can help to reduce industrial CO2 emissions on our website.