Energy and material assessment, Australian style

• Welvic received a grant to evaluate ways to save resources and energy
• Small and large ovens were insulated and dust management systems improved
• Yearly energy savings worth 80 MWh and 95 tonnes less waste achieved thanks to the resource and energy audit

Welvic Australia produces PVC and vinyl-based components required for the manufacturing of a wide range of products, from footwear to cars. The growing company produces over 20 000 tonnes a year at its headquarters in Deer Park, Victoria. To remain internationally competitive, sustainability measures were identified as vital.

To analyse the opportunities for sustainability improvements and implement resource-saving measures, Welvic applied for funding to conduct an energy and material assessment of its business operations before implementing new machines and processes. The company was granted € 50 000 (A$ 74 900) through Sustainability Victoria’s Smarter Resources Smarter Business (SRSB) programme, with € 10 000 (A$ 15 000) to help conduct the audit.

After the assessment, Welvic received an additional € 2 000 (A$ 3 000) to implement the proposed measures, which included upgrading insulation and operating procedures for large and small ovens, as well as € 4 200 (A$ 6 400) to investigate further improvements.

The capital grant has allowed Welvic to carry out the improvements to resin conveyancing and dust management systems, including new resin valve systems, automatic bulk loading, new program logic controls for cooling table and variable speed drives for blower fans.

Key benefits

Thanks to the changes implemented, Welvic managed to cut annual energy use by 70 %, saving around € 3 000 (A$ 4 500) against an initial one-off investment of € 2 500 (A$ 3 800).

The company received a further € 32 500  (A$ 50 000) grant to improve its manufacturing line, reducing materials used and waste by 95 tonnes and energy use by 80 MWh, which saved Welvic around € 52 000 (A$ 80 000) per year.