Project Fact Sheet
Sectoral Platform in Chemicals for
Energy Efficiency Excellence (SPICE3)
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Main information
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Key Action:
Sectoral Platform in Chemicals for Energy Efficiency Excellence
(SPiCE3)
Project
coordinator
Conseil Européen de l’Industrie Chimique A.I.S.B.L. (Cefic)
Contact
person name:
Guy Parker
Contact
person phone:
+32 2 676 73 67
Contact
person email:
gpa@cefic.be
Challoch Energy BVBA (Challoch)
ExtraMile Communications Ltd (ExtraMile),
Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl)
Project's
Partners
Belgische Federatie van de Chemische Industrie en van Life
Sciences vzw (essenscia)
Verband der Chemischen Industrie e.V. (VCI)
SC Sviluppo Chimica S.p.A. (SC Sviluppo)
Svaz Chemického Průmyslu České Republiky (SCHP)
Polska Izba Przemusłu Chemicznego (PCCI)
Vereniging van de Nederlandse Chemische Industrie (VNCI)
Chemicals Industries Association Ltd (CIA)
Kemianteollisuus ry (Chemind)
Bulgarian Chamber of the Chemical Industry (BCCI-CHEM)
Innovations- och kemiindustrierna i Sverige (IKEM)
Hellenic Association of Chemical Industries (HACI)
Project's
website:
www.spice3.eu
Benefits:
SPICE3 expects to foster uptake of energy efficiency in SMEs
across the EU as a whole and specifically in the countries
represented by the consortium which together represent around
80% of all the EU chemicals industry. It aims to effect change in
the targeted companies in order to achieve significant energy
efficiency gains. The 80 SMEs who take part in the on-site training
are expected to be able to deliver 10% energy savings leading to
total savings of at least 3M€ (40% take-up). A similar level of
savings should be achieved from the further 200 SMEs who take
part in the workshops (15% take-up). Finally, the project expects
to influence the larger chemical companies to deliver around 5M€
in further energy savings through their involvement in the
initiative. In total, the expected energy savings delivered through
the project are thus in excess of 10M€ per year (approximately
300 GWh/a).
Keywords:
Energy Efficiency, Chemical Industry, SME
Duration:
01/04/2013 – 30/06/2015
Budget:
Euro 1,342,175.00 (EU contribution 75.00%)
Contract
number:
IEE/12/802/SI2.644755
Summary
(Max. 1200 characters)
The Sectoral Platform in Chemicals for Energy Efficiency Excellence
(SPiCE3) boosts energy efficiency across the European chemical industry,
particularly in small and medium enterprises. Launched in April 2013, the
project enables companies to benefit from existing energy efficiency tools
and exchange best practice through an on-line platform, industry
workshops and tailored training. Energy efficiency initiatives by chemical
companies are meanwhile recognised as part of the industry’s Responsible
Care award scheme. Coordinated by Cefic, the project brings together 11
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national chemical federations, which together account for almost 80% of
European chemicals industry sales. The countries represented are
Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Finland, Greece, Italy, the
Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Other project
partners are energy consultancy Challoch Energy, online communications
agency ExtraMile, and RVO.nl, a division of the Dutch Ministry of Economic
Affairs. The European chemicals industry has had a strong track record on
energy efficiency for more than 20 years, but small companies often lack
the know-how and the right tools to effectively control their energy use
and improve their energy efficiency. Existing industry initiatives designed
to fill this gap, such as the Cefic-led CARE+ energy efficiency programme,
are built into SPiCE3.
So far, two countries – France and Spain – have joined SPiCE³ on a
voluntary basis (outside the IEE co-financing umbrella) adding to the 11
European countries initially signing up to the project and giving more
weight to the energy efficiency effort. Further possibilities of cooperation
are currently under assessment. Switzerland, Ireland and Austria have
shown interest for cooperation.
The SPiCE³ project is designed with long-term sustainability in mind. The
chemical industry is undertaking this initiative to begin a process of deep
and long-term improvement in the sector. This process requires
considerable engagement with the chemical industry as a whole and
existing industry structures, such as Responsible Care, Cefic committees
and wider stakeholder networks. Through SPiCE³, the project partners
have shown real commitment to the long-term quest for more energy
efficiency. The chemicals sector is committed to that goal beyond the
SPiCE³ funding period from the European Commission.
Project’s results
(max. 500 characters per bulletpoint)
(Please, specify the main results of your project. Do not hesitate to
include your targets. Use at least one bullet point to describe the
quantitative targets concerning the results of your project. Limitations:
five bullet points: none of these should exceed 500 characters).
Result 1
The Sectoral Platform in Chemicals for Energy Efficiency Excellence (SPiCE³) –
celebrated on 1 April 2014 its first anniversary. The year saw the successful
launch of the SPiCE³ online platform, the European chemical industry’s only
multinational, multilingual online energy efficiency platform. Despite existing
work in place to support energy efficiency by companies, there has been
limited EU-wide and coordinated industry-led action to combine best
practices, share successes and bring large companies together with smaller
firms.
Result 2
Work done during the year set in motion early success for SPiCE³, especially
the kick off, which put it on the right track. One of the main project
deliverables, the platform (www.SPiCE³.eu), which is the multilingual
backbone of the project, had to be designed, developed, engineered,
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populated with material and put on line. In addition, the country partners
were mobilised so that material was gathered and initial content provided for
the platform. This included information on country profiles, national initiatives
and support programmes for energy efficiency.
Result 3
Result 4
Result 5
The SPiCE³ project has been welcomed across Europe. This shows a clear
need for it and appetite exists for continued growth. So far, two countries –
France and Spain – have joined SPiCE³ on a voluntary basis adding to the 11
European countries initially signing up to the project and giving more weight
to the energy efficiency effort. Further possibilities of cooperation are
currently under assessment. Switzerland and Austria have shown interest for
cooperation.
In addition to virtual exchange of know-how across borders, the SPiCE³
partners have carried out various workshops and on-site trainings across
Europe. Companies have benefited from more than 17 workshops in nine
countries. The second year of the SPiCE³ project will see the launch of
workshops held on a regional level to boost best practice sharing.
To recognise work done in energy efficiency, SPiCE³ has teamed up with the
Cefic Responsible Care programme to give out a European-wide energy
efficiency award. The first Responsible Care energy efficiency special award in
2013 was won by GlaxoSmithKline production site in Irvine, Scotland. Energy
efficiency has been well established as an important pillar of the annual
European Responsible Care awards scheme. The Responsible Care call for its
annual awards has just closed. The first and second annual EU level events
were organised – both times in conjunction with Responsible Care – to ensure
the online platform is broadcasted widely and to safeguard that a long-term
vision is being developed for SPiCE³ in Cefic.
Lessons learnt
(max. 500 characters per bulletpoint)
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ready. Afterwards please limit yourself to three most important points.
None of these should exceed 500 characters.)
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Outreach to SMEs remains a challenge. Personal networking is crucial to encourage
SME’s to pursue energy efficiency improvement opportunities. Bringing them together
in workshops or paying them bilateral visits is a gradual and demanding outreach
approach that has in the long run proved effective in increasing awareness for such
opportunities. Overcoming language barriers through a bottom-up approach in
conjunction with the multilingual website is the right way forward. The country
partners’ work is carried out in close collaboration with Cefic at the EU level. Cefic
provides a clear but flexible framework to coordinate and enable actions as well as to
facilitate knowledge sharing between partners.
Credibility of the initiative can be strengthened by engaging local stakeholders, such as
provincial authorities that are in close contact with SMEs. In addition, large companies
play an important role as mentors and overall supporters.
Using existing structures wherever possible and integrating rather than ‘reinventing the
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Lesson 3
wheel’ has turned out to be a (cost)-efficient and effective way of working. Energy
efficiency is a team exercise. The voluntary commitment of a company based on
substantial business cases is the most important success factor influencing other SMEs
that are considering energy efficiency improvements.
Last updated
Last updated: 27.01.2015.
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