Imagine this: you’re a site manager at a bustling manufacturing plant and you’ve been tasked with electrifying your operations to meet your company’s ambitious net zero goals. You’re all set to make the switch, but then you hear about the recent power outages at Heathrow Airport and across Spain and Portugal. Suddenly, you’re considering ‘what if’ a similar outage hits your site? Will your operations grind to a halt? Does electrification reduce your operational resilience?

In March of this year, a fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport caused a massive power outage, leading to the cancellation of over 1,000 flights and affecting around 200,000 passengers (source 1). The incident highlighted the potential vulnerabilities of an operation that relies heavily on grid-fed electricity. Similarly, the recent widespread blackout in the Iberian Peninsula disrupted key services, shut down businesses and left millions in the dark (sources 2, 3). These events have understandably made many businesses question whether the push for net zero and electrification might compromise operational resilience.

The Risk Behind the Switch: Are You Trading Resilience for Sustainability?

Electrifying heating systems and process equipment is a smart move for decarbonisation. Heat pumps and electric steam generators are much more efficient than traditional gas-fired boilers (source 4), cheaper to maintain (source 5) and can be integrated into a site’s net zero infrastructure through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) or onsite renewable generation. But at what cost? Does your electrical capacity and infrastructure need a significant upgrade? Does the increased peak loading make emergency generation unviable? What was once a very resilient fuel-fed heating plant could now be replaced with a system that means your critical systems can no longer run during a grid outage, shutting down your operation.

Traditionally, you may have managed power outages through emergency backup generation and Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) for key systems. However, increasing their capacity to support your fully electrified operations could become very costly, with capacities potentially doubling or even tripling. Additionally, consider your maintenance programs and the increased tasks required to appropriately manage these new assets. Finally, installing generators powered by stationary, liquid fuels will likely further contribute to your site’s carbon emissions, potentially counteracting your drive toward net zero emissions.

Resilient Electrification is Possible – With the Right Strategy

By including good planning and management, decarbonisation and resilience can work hand in hand. The key lies in integrating energy resilience into your business continuity plans and ensuring you understand your energy consumption profile in detail. This means proactively planning for energy disruptions rather than simply reacting to them and understanding how your critical loads can be managed. By doing so, you can decrease volatility, continue sustainable growth, and protect your company’s reputation from the lasting effects of downtime (source 6).

At Projective Engineering, we understand the complexities of decarbonisation and the importance of operational resilience. Our electrification strategies help clients hit their net zero targets while ensuring robust power systems. We build energy resilience into your plans, so you’re prepared for any disruptions. Our expertise in energy management and business continuity ensures that your transition to net zero is smooth and effective (source 7). With our recent attendance at the Innovation Zero world conference, we’ve seen how businesses are becoming increasingly concerned with trade-offs between decarbonisation and resilience – but with Projective, both goals can be achieved simultaneously.

Our holistic step-by-step approach centres on three key areas:

1. Getting the house in order:
We work with you as a trusted partner to ensure that, regardless of net zero objectives, you understand your site’s energy profile. Who are your key users? How are your critical loads managed? What causes your peak loading? Deploying Energy Management Systems (EMS) enables you to plan for the worst and build energy resilience into your continuity plans.

2. Managing times where energy consumption is greatest:
Energy efficiency for cost savings plays a key role in the decarbonisation journey. We not only want to help you achieve best operational practice but if we can reduce your peak energy consumption the less you’ll have to invest in new assets to provide resiliency. Imagine a future where you’ve reduced your day-to-day OPEX spend on energy and reduced the CAPEX needed to reach net zero.

3. Resilient Net Zero Enabled Solutions:
With our support, your understanding and optimisation we can ensure that your investment in resilient energy systems complements your existing operation – rather than work against it. This could be through a combination of:

– Onsite renewable generation, such as solar panels and wind turbines, which can ensure a continuous power supply, even during grid disruptions.

– Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) which store excess renewable energy for use during outages, providing a reliable backup power source.

– Microgrids and UPS, allowing you to manage your own electricity. Disconnect from the main grid during outages and continue to operate autonomously, maintaining critical operations.

– Deployment of drop-in, renewably sourced fuels such as Biodiesel or Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) within emergency generation systems.

Managing the cost of this transition might seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Projective has a history of working with globally recognised clients to achieve a resilient and decarbonised future, particularly across the Pharma, Food & Beverage and FMCG industries. Want to talk to us more about what we could do for you? Get in touch with us.

Electrify with Confidence – and Resilience

In conclusion, electrification is still a cornerstone of decarbonisation. Despite the challenges of grid-fed electricity, the benefits in efficiency, cost and environmental impact are undeniable. By adopting resilience measures, you can safeguard against disruption and ensure a sustainable future.

Authored by: Jack Harris, Daniel Harris and Eleanor Parker at Projective Engineering.

Sources

1. Hayes substation fire – Wikipedia

2. ‘Everything went off’: How Spain and Portugal’s massive power cut unfolded

3. LIVE: Spain’s Pedro Sanchez gives speech following power outage

4. Heat pumps: how they work, costs and savings

5. Heat Pump vs. Furnace: Which Heating System Is Right For You?

6. Integrating Energy Resiliency in Business Continuity Plans

7. Net Zero Partnership for Global Pharmaceutical Company