Energy Optimization in the Brewing Industry: Case study of East African breweries Limited Nairobi

Abstract

Most brewing companies nowadays are working towards increased productivity, competitiveness and profitability. A great draw back to the realization of this ambition is the escalating cost of energy resources. Besides, energy is getting scarce as its availability is drastically reducing with the ever increasing demand resulting from growing industrialization. The primary sources of energy for the industry are fuel oil and electricity. Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and diesel also form the secondary energy resources utilized by the companies. A small percentage reduction in these energy consumptions, and thus the cost, will allow for significant reduction in the cost of production per unit volume of the factory. This will in turn lead to even more competitive pricing. This paper will identify all the energy saving opportunities (ESOs) in the brewing industry and suggest the best energy management practices that would lead to optimization of energy consumption. Further, target setting, benchmarking, monitoring and evaluation of energy utilization will be presented. An implementation plan for the identified ESOs will eventually be suggested.