Bradgate Bakery Sustainable Water Management

CASE STUDY:

BRADGATE BAKERY’S SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT WITH CARBON DESKTOP

Reducing waste, in all forms is a core pillar of the 4R Plan and as part of Bradgate Bakery’s commitment to the 4R Plan, the engineering team undertook a reassessment of the current procedures and operations to ensure real-time utilities management (electricity, gas and water usage) and to prevent such events happening again. Reducing wastage is a behaviour of one of the four pillars of The 4R Plan that holds significant environmental and social impact, including water as a valuable resource.

Data shows water useage by hour

Valve operation near critical failure

First indication of possible issue with water valve

Peaks indicate where valve is slow becoming slow to operate New valve installed

Carbon Desktop allowed the team at Bradgate Bakery to monitor their utility usage in real time through its connection to the site’s sub-metering system. Not only did this highlight where the excessive water use was coming from, enabling the team to isolate and manage this waste, but it has enabled a more proactive approach to how the site monitors and manages utility usage through better data analysis.

The site had run out of their allocated water allowance for the day earlier than expected. All water used on site is supplied via two 50,000 litre storage tanks. Typical usage is approximately 10 cubic metres (m³) of water per hour with peaks of up to 14m³ per hour. Compared to the water supply of circa 9m³ per hour, it is easy to see that any unplanned events can lead to a water shortage. In this particular case, the excess usage was equal to the amount of water being supplied to the site. The impact of this meant all processes that required water, such as cleaning the bakery and the washing of ingredients, had to be stopped or severely cut back. Though the production output was not affected, by limiting water usage in other areas of the site, teams had to work harder and faster together to complete preparation work on a just-in-time basis.

“Improving and monitoring the efficiency of water use across the site is a step forward to investing in sustainable water management… a critical business juncture as businesses begin to face water-related risks”

Case Study: Bradgate Bakery’s sustainable water management with Carbon Desktop

WATER IS AN ESSENTIAL RESOURCE FOR FOOD PRODUCTION. BRADGATE BAKERY MAKES 195,850 SANDWICHES ON AVERAGE A DAY, USING LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. WHEN THE SITE UNEXPECTEDLY EXPERIENCED WATER SHORTAGES, CONCERNS WERE RAISED FOLLOWED BY AN INVESTIGATION. THROUGH ONLINE DATA ANALYSIS THE ENGINEERING TEAM WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE. THIS SPARKED BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE AROUND WATER USAGE AND OPERATION EFFICIENCY, TEAM UPSKILLING WHICH ULTIMATELY LED TOa number of considerable efficiencies.

When the team undertook an initial review, it was believed that the garden hose had caused excessive water usage due to having been left running for a number of days. However, a week later the site experienced the same water shortage issue, and having resolved the issue of the garden hose previously, it was not clear what was causing the shortage, or how it could be managed.

As a smart utilities management platform (electricity, gas and water usage), Carbon Desktop was implemented by Bradgate Bakery to help better manage utility usage and identify hotspots that can be targeted for improvement across the site. The online platform creates customised data analysis on utility consumption and environmental outputs as usage occurs, optimising efficient energy management and automated cost savings. The software links to the sub-metering system to record water usage across the site and provides real time data, highlighting areas of excessive water use.

Immediately, the software pinpointed the direct cause of the significant usage. The engineering team was able to isolate the impact to a failed valve that was unable to shut off. Over a two week period, a total of 900m³ of water was wasted, costing £450. The valve was replaced along with a second valve that was of the same age to bypass another water system-fail.

The team now meet regularly to review the Carbon Desktop to maintain efficient levels of water consumption across the site and to provide insight into future energyreduction developments.

OUtcomes UPSKILLING COLLEAGUES

OPERATION EFFICIENCY

Bradgate Bakery used Carbon Desktop to demonstrate to managers how the issue was identified and to introduce a new, more effective monitoring and reporting process. Through team briefings, all machine operators were inducted on using the tool to monitor utility usage with protocol to report any system discrepancies, faults or changes they notice to minimise the potential impacts of excessive usage.

Teams also gained better insight into their department specific usage, enabling them to improve operational efficiencies and engage managers on driving change.

Further developments have been in the modification of the control system on the site’s pasta cooking, to prevent the intermittent lifting of the pressure and temperature relief that was wasting water. Carbon Desktop was used to better understand the water usage when going through the recent shutdown of the site.

The Carbon Desktop platform demonstrates how the power of data helps to identify and continuously improve and reduce water usage. Since implementation, Bradgate Bakery has been able to monitor trends and therefore locate other hotspots within the sites operations. This has meant they were able to modify and have better control over energy usage on a daily basis. The next step is inducting area managers on graphical information to review each day to track and proactively improve their departments’ usage even further.

FINANCIAL SAVINGS By reviewing data from Carbon Desktop daily, water consumption is better managed and any exceptional use of the resource can be identified and investigated quickly to prevent any water wastage, and drive cost reductions.

Since the valves have been replaced, the site has made an annual saving of £23,000.

Since the valves have been replaced, the site has made an annual water saving of £23,000 SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT & WATER STEWARDSHIP Improving and monitoring the efficiency of water use across the site is a step forward to investing in sustainable water management that also advances communities beyond the gates. Reducing water consumption throughout production processes leaves more of the natural resource to the local communities and scales down the environmental impacts caused. Developing insight with our teams brings about positive behavioural change that embeds the fundamental awareness of such impacts and water-related risks.

Reduction in water-related impacts of internal and supply chain values is progress towards water stewardship, a collaborative and multi-stakeholder approach that aims to achieve social, environmental and economic benefits.

A critical business juncture as businesses begin to face risks from water that could have a profound impact on profitability and brand value, as water scarcity continues globally. Bradgate Bakery continues to assess the opportunities data analysis presents, engaging teams and setting realistic targets in line with global goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to take responsibility and lead the industry together.

“By utilising the system, the site has been able to successfully quantify utility-use and effectively set targets based on actual realtime data that increases insight for future developments” John Sharman Engineering Manager at Bradgate Bakery

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Case Study: Bradgate Bakery’s sustainable water management with Carbon Desktop

DATA DRIVEN SOLUTIONS