{"id":23151,"date":"2025-02-10T15:08:54","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T09:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vps138634.inmotionhosting.com\/~climate\/?p=23151"},"modified":"2025-10-15T13:03:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T07:33:00","slug":"rolling-green-how-a-leading-tyre-maker-is-cutting-energy-waste-costs-and-carbon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vps138634.inmotionhosting.com\/~climate\/rolling-green-how-a-leading-tyre-maker-is-cutting-energy-waste-costs-and-carbon\/","title":{"rendered":"Rolling Green: How a leading tyre maker is cutting energy waste, costs and carbon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mixing, sheeting, and cooling \u2013 the key steps involved in transforming Sri Lankan rubber into tyres for three-wheelers, cars, tractors, trucks and more. Since 1949, the production lines at Associated Motorways (AMW) have been following this tried-and-tested process. Today, the company is a leader in Sri Lanka\u2019s tyre industry, serving local and international markets.<\/p>\n

\"AMW

Damith Gamage is the Head of Production at AMW\u2019s tyre manufacturing facility in Kalutara. He is responsible for overseeing the manufacturing operation as well as managing projects. \u201cAMW produces 18,000 MT of custom rubber compound each year,\u201d Damith said. The process uses high voltage machinery and tools leading to a monthly electricity cost of over 15 million rupees.<\/p>\n

\"Damith

With Sri Lanka\u2019s industrial sector still recovering from the energy crisis that crippled the economy in 2022, managers like Damith have been keen to find ways of reducing their energy bills. At the same time, the country is committed to tackling the climate crisis and companies like AMW need to support Sri Lanka\u2019s goal of reducing industrial CO2<\/sub> emissions by 7 per cent by 2030. \u201cIn the past, energy consumption was not a hot topic but now it is more important than ever,\u201d Damith said.<\/p>\n

Curbing energy waste<\/h3>\n

In 2023, Damith was among the first batch of 45 Sri Lankan trainees to successfully complete a one-year ISO-certified Energy Management Systems (EnMS) training course. The course was led by internationally-renowned United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) trainers under the EU-funded Accelerating Industries Climate Response in Sri Lanka (AICR-SL) project, in partnership with Sri Lanka\u2019s National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC).<\/p>\n

The EnMS training involves theoretical sessions, but also takes participants beyond the classroom to implement real-life projects in their places of work. \u201cWhen assessing our energy efficiency, we identified the base load to be 22\u201325 per cent of total load. After identifying significant energy use, we have begun to reduce waste by increasing efficiency,\u201d Damith said.<\/p>\n

\"AMW

For example, initially, wood logs were utilized for thermal heating of the biomass boiler but after shifting to a mix of sawdust and wood as the factory\u2019s main fuel, combustion efficiency improved from 35 to 42 per cent. \u201cWe also identified insufficient insulation in our steam production system, which we addressed by bringing in new condensation recovery processes; this led to a 5-7 per cent reduction in the fuel consumption of our boilers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

At the same time, maintenance plays a crucial role in ensuring energy efficiency in machinery, Damith said. \u201cI have implemented a preventive maintenance programme that ensures all machinery is tuned for optimal energy efficiency,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A systems approach to motor efficiency<\/h3>\n

In factories everywhere motors use most (around 70 per cent) of the energy needed to drive production processes. Despite numerous improvements made over the years, motor-driven systems are still maintained and operated much the same way as they were 50 years ago. They are often run until they fail, and many operators lack the knowledge to gauge the health and efficiency of their equipment. Consequently, energy waste, unscheduled downtime and the resulting costs are all too common.<\/p>\n

\"AMW

As motor systems play such an important role in reducing energy waste, Damith encouraged his colleague, Engineering Manager Chaminda Senanayake, to join UNIDO\u2019s specialized Motor Systems Optimization (MSO) training course<\/a> when it was offered under the AICR-SL project in 2023. \u201cThe course encouraged us to evaluate our entire motor systems, not just individual ones,\u201d Chaminda said.<\/p>\n

UNIDO has long championed a \u2018motor-systems\u2019 approach to achieving efficiency rather than focusing on the maintenance of individual components. This is because energy can be lost throughout the production process and these can add up to significant inefficiencies. \u201cTypically, approaches that look at individual motors can result in energy savings of 3 to 5 per cent,\u201d said UNIDO Energy Efficiency Expert, Rashindu Mendis. \u201cWhereas a systems approach can deliver energy savings ranging from 10 to 50 per cent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Varying motor speeds equals efficiency<\/h3>\n

Focusing on AMW’s Kalutara production plant, Chaminda and his team worked with UNIDO to identify and implement four projects. These were aimed at optimizing the plant’s air compression, cooling, and airflow motor systems. The project primarily involved upgrading the motor systems from fixed-speed operations to variable-speed drives, enabling motors to adjust their speeds according to demand rather than running at a constant speed.<\/p>\n