How can Dutch industry use significantly less energy before 2030? That question is central to the VIBE programme, short for Versnelling Industriële Besparing Energie. The initiative focuses on measures that are technically feasible, deliver sufficient energy savings and can be implemented within a few years.

On 12 October, MVO organised a webinar in which around forty participants were introduced to the programme and the opportunities for the oils and fats industry. Experts from Bilfinger explained the technical possibilities, while the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) discussed available grants and financing options.

From potential savings to practical solutions

Energy-saving measures may sound attractive, but how can companies determine whether an investment will actually pay off? The VIBE toolkit helps answer this question through three complementary tools.

The VIBE Navigator identifies the five most promising energy-saving measures for a particular sector, providing technical information and indicative costs.

Companies can then use the VIBE Calculator to enter their own data, including energy prices, operating hours and investment costs. This gives them an estimate of potential energy savings, payback periods and CO₂ reductions.

The VIBE Catalogue completes the toolkit with practical examples of existing installations and information on technology suppliers. It allows companies to explore solutions that have already been successfully implemented elsewhere.

Significant potential for energy savings

For the oils and fats industry, three types of facilities were examined: biodiesel plants, oilseed processing facilities and edible oil refineries.

Heat recovery, heat pumps and mechanical vapour recompression offer particularly promising opportunities. The latter technology recovers and reuses energy from process vapours, reducing the need for additional heat generation.

The calculations suggest that the potential savings are substantial. For example, a combination of measures at a reference biodiesel plant could save an estimated 19,400 MWh annually. For soybean processing, the estimated savings reach around 32,000 MWh per year.

These figures are indicative. Actual energy savings and financial viability depend on the specific installation, existing production processes and energy prices.

Financial support for energy-saving investments

Financing is another important consideration. During the webinar, RVO outlined several support schemes, including the Energy Investment Allowance (EIA), VEKI, DEI+ and SDE++. Eligibility depends on the nature of the project and the conditions of each scheme.

The VIBE toolkit provides companies with a practical starting point for identifying and evaluating energy-saving opportunities. By combining technical information, real-world examples and financial calculations, it helps businesses assess which measures are most suitable for their own production processes.

More information and the latest tools are available at

www.vibe2030.nl.