Energy Efficient Procurement at SGRE: Changing the mindset; Switching from a financial perspective to a strategic perspective regarding energy-efficient procurement

Fernandez Bevan, Andres

4. Term

Urban, Energy and Environmental Planning, Master

2019

2019-06-07

71 pages

The industrial sector is witnessing a slow but progressive change in how products are manufactured due to the integration of environmental issues into product development. This shift is particularly important considering that the industrial sector accounts for approximately 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In order to accomplish a systematic change that results in sustainable manufacturing processes, both strategic and long-term perspectives need to be implemented by businesses and organizations. For this reason, this Master Thesis will evaluate the decision-making behind purchased machinery and equipment required for production in Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Aalborg, since the first filter towards sustainable product is to minimise energy consumption throughout the supply chain and optimize existing equipment. To address the problem in hand, the stakeholders involved in the design and purchase of machinery and equipment were interviewed to understand pathways and drivers that dictate the current decision-making process at the plant. Moreover, three existing products that presented inefficiencies at the plant were evaluated to expose current barriers that hinder the implementation of a sustainable supply chain. The two main barriers encountered were the lack of sustainability assessments tools that can proof reliability in long-term opportunities and uncertainty of the environmental requirements and standards that should push towards a sustainable production environment. As a consequence of these issues, a supplier selection strategy is proposed to become transparent and engaging with the variety of stakeholders. Furthermore, a method to calculate emissions is explained to predict the potential environmental impact of machines and equipment to make a responsible selection based on quantitative calculations. Finally, the framework proposed will support strategical decision-making to predict consequences of value creation towards environmental, social and economic sustainability.

sustainability ; circular economy ; sustainability assessment ; industrial ecology ; energy efficient procurement ; sustainable design ; carbon neutrality ; decarbonization

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