What really works when decarbonising energy intensive industries?

The surge of new technologies and ideas has opened exciting opportunities for industrial businesses, but the volume of information can feel overwhelming. With energy independence now more important than ever, focus on what matters most: visualise your energy use, optimise operations, and decarbonise your supply. By cutting through the noise and focusing on strategies outlined below, you can take control of your energy and carbon footprint, turning rising costs and regulatory pressures into a competitive advantage.

With over two decades of experience in the energy sector, Scott Lutton, Regional Director at Vital Energi, shares practical steps for energy‑intensive industries to strengthen performance and build long‑term resilience. Meanwhile, Ben Mohatta, Associate Design Director, offers an inside look at a major decarbonisation project at Simpsons Malt Limited’s Tweed Valley Maltings, the UK’s largest malting site. This scheme is now capable of reducing carbon emissions by 25,000 tonnes a year.

1. Visualise your energy use

Use digital models to predict performance

Once you understand your consumption, assess which decarbonisation technologies are suitable and how they can integrate with existing systems. Tools like 3D laser scanning and Digital Twins help model airflow and system behaviour before work begins.
When working with major malt manufacturer, Simpsons Malt, for example, we created a virtual replica of their malt drying facility to pinpoint airflow and thermal efficiencies. This allowed us to optimise the process before any physical work began. By developing fully coordinated CAD models, we reduced construction downtime and enabled advanced procurement, delivering pre‑fabricated assemblies to site instead of raw materials.

Set an accurate baseline

Establishing an accurate energy and emissions baseline is essential for understanding current performance and pinpointing challenge areas. It provides a solid foundation for setting meaningful objectives, prioritising interventions, and tracking progress over time. A baseline is also critical for meeting regulatory obligations, such as UK ETS reporting, where organisations must document reductions in emissions to remain compliant.

2. Small tweaks, big savings

What does this include?

This includes fine‑tuning temperatures, pressures, runtimes and sequencing, supported by automation, AI and predictive analytics to keep equipment running efficiently.
Improving start‑up and shutdown routines, recovering waste heat, recycling process cooling and scheduling operations outside peak tariffs all cut unnecessary use.
Matching compressed air and steam generation to demand, refining set points and defrost cycles, using air curtains, and aligning lighting and HVAC with occupancy prevent energy being consumed when it’s not needed.
Clear comfort policies enforced through a BMS keep systems within defined parameters. Together, these optimisation measures reduce energy consumption and operating costs, often without major capital investment.

3. Decarbonise your remaining demand

Transition away from fossil fuels

This stage should follow a detailed site review, as choosing technologies too early can lead to oversized or underperforming assets. Decarbonisation requires structural change and targeted capital expenditure (CAPEX) but delivers lasting value and a competitive edge when done well.
Decarbonisation typically means shifting from fossil fuels to low‑carbon alternatives, supported by onsite renewables such as solar PV, battery storage and heat pumps. Heat decarbonisation is essential, combining heat recovery, electrification and thermal storage to reduce reliance on gas. Robust carbon management ensures remaining emissions are accurately measured and verified, with offsetting only used as a final step.

Case study: biomass and electrification

A strong example of switching from fossil fuels to renewables is Simpsons Malt, which now uses three biomass boilers for heat. Simpsons Malt matched their plant to a low grade and readily available biomass that would otherwise be a waste stream. This selection allowed the plant to be designed to be efficient and in line with its sustainability policy. Manufacturers specify which fuels their boilers can use and how each option affects performance. Inconsistent fuel can reduce efficiency, increase emissions or cause equipment issues, so systems must be designed around a defined fuel type, supported by ongoing quality checks and performance monitoring.
The project also demonstrates the value of analysing sites and locations to deliver tailored, economically viable innovations, integrating technologies that achieve both low‑carbon performance and greater resilience. At Simpsons Malt, biomass is paired with a 12MW electrode boiler directly corrected to the DNO area network and managed via an energy market trading system, allowing the site to use clean electricity during periods when local wind generation may have been curtailed or when the unit price is competitive. This maximises renewable energy use while maintaining security of supply.
Ongoing operation and maintenance ensure savings are sustained, performance improves over time, and all interventions are consistently measured and verified.

Build a long-term roadmap

Create a clear decarbonisation roadmap aligned with asset performance, UK ETS obligations and wider regulation. Begin with the installation of energy conservation measures, then low‑carbon heat and power, followed by flexibility and market‑driven optimisation.
Consider your location and whether local resources could support renewable technologies. For example, do you have land available for a solar farm, or are you near a river that could power a water‑source heat pump?
Scenario planning for heat electrification should assess complementary technologies such as solar PV, CHP, EV charging and battery storage to support resilience and peak shaving.
Phasing the transition across gas and electricity can be cost‑effective, with CHP and heat pumps working together to deliver heat and steam while operating flexibly for efficiency gains.
Additional value comes from integrating waste heat recovery with onsite generation and using cascading heat pumps alongside CHP systems. The strongest results come from combining technologies in the most efficient, well‑integrated way.

4. People power

Embedding expertise from day one

Simpsons Malt took a proactive approach by engaging with the site developer and design teams at the very beginning of the journey. This allowed Simpsons Malt to share their process knowledge with the design teams to ensure that the solution delivered would be fit for purpose. When the construction phase had reached a suitable stage, their Operations & Maintenance team were involved at the earliest opportunity. This early engagement allowed the team to embed in the commissioning process, gain hands-on experience, and build a deep understanding of the plant before handover. By investing upfront, the team learned on the job, operated the system confidently, and optimised performance from day one. The result was a well-prepared team, improved efficiency, and lasting behavioural change, proving that a little extra investment at the start delivers huge long-term benefits

By focusing on the areas that deliver the greatest impact, you can reduce costs, strengthen resilience and stay ahead of regulatory change. Energy independence is more important than ever due to world economic factors, and it remains a key driver of future success. With major support arriving in April 2026, when around 500 UK businesses will see network charge discounts increase from 60% to 90%, now is the ideal moment to accelerate your plans.

We also operate several operational and funding models to suite all customer needs. From fully financed customer CAPEX, through to flexible funding arrangements, we help businesses upgrade their energy infrastructure to reduce both costs and carbon.