KCI can save 20% energy through efficiency measures: Study

Kerala Centric Industries (KCI) can save up to 20 per cent energy through proper conservation and efficiency measures, a research study on energy management in industries has revealed.

The study carried out by S Ratna Kumaran, Managing Director, Kerala State Cooperative Rubber Marketing Federation (Marketfed) on six KCIs — cashew, rubber, coir, ayurveda, fisheries and china clay — found that poor financial incentives for energy conservation is one of the main causes for high energy consumption and this coupled with lack of awareness on efficiency improvement had put the things worse.

According to him, the cost of production could be reduced considerably by adopting energy conservation and efficiency enhancement measures thereby reducing energy cost.

This is significant due to rising labour costs, raw materials etc, the major other factors of production. Unless serious efforts are taken to reduce the cost of production, he said that there is every chance that export activities of KCI will diminish affecting the foreign exchange earnings.

It may be recalled that Ratna Kumaran had pioneered the idea of energy conservation clubs in Kerala for the first time in the country and was also instrumental in framing the slogan 'Switch off one light, avoid power cut' during 2004.

He was also of the view that KCI has substantial energy conservation potential. Benchmarking energy efficiency parameters would enable KCI to utilise the identified energy conservation potentials to make its products globally competitive.

He also suggested the use of renewable energy sources like biomass, solar and wind to the maximum extent possible to reduce the production cost. Consumption of fossil fuel would also help reduce green house gas emissions.

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