ELE Advanced Technologies makes changes today to benefit tomorrow

Its original goal – of reducing scope one and two carbon emissions by 80%t by minimising energy usage and sourcing energy from renewable sources – was achieved at the end of 2023.

Lancashire-based ELE, which produces complex, high-integrity components for some of the biggest original equipment manufacturers in the world, introduced an energy optimisation programme utilising digital diagnostic tools to reduce the energy needed to power its machining tools by 20%.

The business, which provides engineering solutions in the aerospace, power generation and automotive sectors, also installed photovoltaic solar panels to enable it to generate up to 37% of its own clean energy, with the remaining energy used on site coming from alternative renewable sources.

Its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility site features electric vehicle charging points free to use for all employees. A streamlined waste management system has also reduced the level of waste produced and increased repurposing and recycling rates so that 88% of the waste it produces now avoids landfill.

The final step of this initial phase will involve ELE reducing carbon emissions resulting from its heating requirements by exploring potential heat recovery options within its manufacturing operations. Heat recovery is now in place, heating a new extension recently built for a highly specialised application.

ELE Advanced Technologies’ Environmental, Social and Governance board members
(Left to right: Sean Lemon – Shift Leader, Pam Pinder – Head of People and Talent, Zaibaa Master – Junior Manufacturing Engineer, John Draper – HSE Manager)

David Stanley, CEO of ELE Advanced Technologies, said:

“Our customers may be some of the biggest blue-chip companies in the world, but they still have a steep journey ahead of them in achieving net zero by 2050 – through what they make and how they make it.

“We may have gone early in terms of leading the way for the rest of the supply chain, however we believe this is the right thing to do and our customers value our responsible and collaborative approach.”

A key aspect of ELE’s drive to be an early adopter of the most sustainable approaches and techniques in advanced manufacturing is its formation of a Sustainability Committee.

Led by David and tasked with driving forward environmental, social and governance aims, the committee engages with employees from all areas of the business and will now work towards the next phase of the business’ journey to net zero.

David said:

“Scope three now involves us looking into how we can support reduction of carbon emissions generated by our supply chain as a result of our operations.

“This will undoubtedly be the most challenging aspect of our sustainability journey. However, ELE already has excellent working relationships with its supply chain, so we’re already one step ahead than most, and look forward to working with our suppliers to explore the difference we can make together.”

To start, ELE aims to reduce carbon emissions produced by its commuting and courier services by 25% and then intends to achieve a further 25% reduction from working with the remainder of its supply chain, by the end of 2024.

Sustainability improvements achieved by ELE Advanced Technologies to date have recently been recognised by an external party that independently assesses progress being made. Having been benchmarked in 2022 the assessment improved again in 2023 with an overall score of 68% and is considered ‘Advanced’ in the framework.

David added:

“ELE’s culture is one of ‘making things possible’ – this ethos will ensure we continue to make a difference in advancing technology for the benefit of future generations.”