A Systematic Approach to Adopt Sustainability and Efficiency Practices in Energy-Intensive Industries

Abstract

The foundry industry is counted among the energy- and resource-intensive industries, and thus an important contributor to impacts on climate change. On a global level, the production of casting parts is expected to increase, with China, USA and India as the main cast producers, and the automotive sector as the main purchaser. While the production of castings is one of the oldest production processes in human history, there are still weaknesses regarding sustainable operations, amongst others due to the asset intensity and different energy cost situations on global level. Political and legislative actions were taken to force sustainable practices in Europe, which means a challenge and a responsibility for foundries at the same time, to adapt their processes, and to adopt sustainability and efficiency management. This paper describes a systematic model approach combining a synthesis of top-down and bottom-up analyses and establishing sustainable practices in foundries. The approach follows the Plan–Do–Check–Act cycle and allows to identify and capture energy and resource efficiency potential while considering life cycle aspects within a highly specific and complex industry. The paper also highlights the importance of transdisciplinary collaboration regarding the realization of sector-specific energy efficiency and integrated into value chain networks. The benefit of the approach is its application on different sustainability maturity levels, and its potential to be adopted in different energy- and resource-intensive industries.