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Towards a theory of energy management through contrasting case studies from the shipping and the manufacturing sectors.

The purpose of the research project was to analyse how energy management is conducted in Swedish manufacturing and shipping industries, as well as how these activities could be developed to contribute to the industry's transformation towards sustainable energy systems and long-term competitiveness.

Forskarskola Energisystem, forskningsprojekt om energiledning

To study how energy efficiency in manufacturing and shipping industry can be efficientized has a great deal of energy relevance and strategic work towards increased energy and resource efficiency is central to Swedish industry in a global market with scarce resources. It is also crucial for the industry to be long-term competitive, especially in industries where energy costs are a major part of operational costs, such as in energy-intensive manufacturing and process industry or in shipping.

Purpose of the study

The primary purpose of the research project was to analyze how energy management is conducted in Swedish manufacturing industry and in the shipping industry, as well as how this work could be developed to contribute to the industry's transformation into sustainable energy systems and long-term competitiveness.

Aim of the study

The project aimed to carry out two parallel series of interdisciplinary case studies, which were integrated in themselves, on the energy management's practice in organizations from the shipping and manufacturing industry.

Project time

October 2018 until September 2022

Results

Studying how energy efficiency in the shipping and manufacturing sectors can be made more efficient and effective has a very high energy relevance. Strategic work towards increased energy and resource efficiency is central to Swedish industry in a global market with scarcer resources. It is also of central importance for the industry to be competitive in the long term, especially in industries where energy costs are a large part of operational costs, such as in the energy-intensive manufacturing and process industry or in shipping. In this context, the company's internal energy management work plays an important role in achieving increased efficiency: how in practice one organizes and manages the work on energy issues. This research project has resulted in two doctoral dissertations in which the work of these two industries with energy management has been studied.

Conclusions from the project are that the model/theory for how energy efficiency occurs is largely based in technology where a lack of information is seen as one of the primary obstacles along with a lack of capital. However, the research carried out shows a partly different picture. The low-hanging fruits are many times already picked and in order to be able to reach further in terms of improved energy efficiency, increased excellence is needed in terms of process engineers and operators' knowledge of their own processes and energy systems as well as leaders' work with the energy issue. In addition, the paradigm towards Industry 4.0 is changing. and digitization will provide access to more energy-related data in real time, which improves advanced analysis that requires more advanced technology and process knowledge. Therefore, matters become more complex and new types of knowledge must be created.

Read Final Report here

Publications

Doctoral thesis

Hanna Varne (2024) Oxymoron organizing: travels of the idea of energy efficient oil tankers.

Mariana Andrei (2023) The role of industrial energy management in the transition toward sustainable energy systems: Exploring practices, knowledge dynamics and policy evaluation

Scientific articles

Lawrence et al. (2019). Specific Energy Consumption/Use (SEC) in Energy Management for Improving Energy Efficiency in Industry: Meaning, Usage and Differences. Energies 2019, Vol. 12, Page 247 12, 247. https://doi.org/10.3390/EN12020247 (https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/2/247)

Andrei et al. 2021. Decarbonization of industry : Guidelines towards a harmonized energy efficiency policy program impact evaluation methodology. Energy Reports 7, 1385–1395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.02.067

Poulsen, R. T., Viktorelius, M., Varvne, H., Rasmussen, H. B., & von Knorring, H. (2022). Energy efficiency in ship operations - Exploring voyage decisions and decision-makers. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 102, 103120. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2021.103120

Viktorelius, Varvne, & von Knorring, (2022) An overview of sociotechnical research on maritime energy efficiency. WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs

Andrei, M., Thollander, P., & Sannö, A. (2022). Knowledge demands for energy management in manufacturing industry - A systematic literature review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Report

Varvne and Andrei, 2021. Exploring similarities and differences in Energy Management. Application in fuel industry. Vetenskaplig rapport.

Conference papers

Varvne and Eriksson-Zetterquist, 2021. Making sense of oil tanker operations in an era of decarbonization. [conference presentation] EGOS 2021, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Andrei and Thollander, 2019. Reducing the Energy Efficiency Gap by Means of Energy Management Practices. ©2019 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry

Varvne, (forthcoming, 2022) Anchoring unsustainable practices in rhetoric, a study of just in time arrival of tanker ships. [accepted to covid postponed conference]

Varvne and Andrei, (forthcoming, 2022) Organizing interdisciplinary energy system research. [submitted to EGOS 2022 conference]

People in the project

Head of research

Patrik Thollander, Professor, LiU

Project participants

  • Ulla Eriksson-Zetterquist, Professor, University of Gothenburg
  • Hannes von Knorring, researcher, University of Gothenburg
  • Hanna Varvne,PhD
  • Mariana Andrei, PhD

Project partners

  • Linköping University
  • University of Gothenburg

Read more about the Graduate School in Energy Systems

Energy is everywhere, sunset.

Graduate School in Energy Systems

Graduate School in Energy Systems purpose is to increase understanding of how energy system depends on the interaction between technology and society's regulatory framework, policy development and operators interests and behavior.

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