Certified energy management at voestalpine Krems Finaltechnik
Making energy consumption more efficient is one of the most important goals of ISO 50001 certification. Like other companies from the Metal Forming Division before it, voestalpine Krems Finaltechnik decided last fall to pursue certification of its energy management system, believing this to be an important step on the path to carbon neutrality.
Recording energy consumption
“Recording energy consumption within the company was an essential strategic task for us,” said Adam Krajewski, Head of the Quality, Environment, and Energy Management department at voestalpine Krems Finaltechnik. “Having a precise overview of where the energy is being consumed is becoming increasingly important and will enable us to use this efficiently.” The steering committee now meets every two weeks and discusses current consumption levels along with measures to reduce them.
Getting everyone on board
A precise overview can now be provided to the company’s employees, too. “After all, their actions help determine our energy balance,” confirmed Julia Koppensteiner (Marketing and Communications). “They can therefore read the figures on the notice board in a monthly or annual comparison—and thus also see the result of their efforts.” To reduce CO2 emissions, the forklift drivers at the Krems site, for example, are discussing ways to use diesel fuel even more effectively in daily operations.
Customers are demanding transparency
A transparent energy balance is also an important argument in the bidding process, Krajewski confirmed. “Customers do look at the carbon footprint of our production and our products,” he said. “Carbon neutrality is becoming increasingly important for guard rails for roads and highways, for instance.” The considerable effort put into obtaining initial certification therefore definitely pays off.As is customary with this type of certification, follow-up audits will now take place annually; the next certification will be due in three years. “It will definitely be easier for us next time round,” said Adam Krajewski. “Then we will know what matters.”
