Workload increases and so does energy efficiency

At a business breakfast held this week at The Malta Chamber in Valletta, DHL Country Manager Charles Schiavone shared DHL Express Malta’s experience with energy efficiency in Malta with business and stakeholder representatives. The event was organised by the Malta Business Bureau as part of the Investing in Energy Project, to share proven successful energy efficiency strategies with relevant businesses.

Mr Schiavone explained that DHL Express Malta, an ISO 50001 and ISO 14001 certified entity, has just completed an audit on its 2016 energy performance. In 2016, it managed to increase its energy efficiency by 5% over 2015, despite a 16% increase in workload.

Joe Tanti, MBB CEO said “DHL Express Malta adopted an entire strategy focused on maintaining energy efficiency while also identifying and tackling areas for improvement. Their strategic approach is worth emulating, and their altruism in sharing information is appreciated.”

Apart from an energy management strategy focused on 7 key areas, DHL Express Malta identified a rate of 13% failed first delivery attempts for its residential customers. It then developed and trialled a system of drop-off boxes to improve customer service as well as reduce subsequent delivery trips. A trial in 3 localities proved successful, and plans are underway to increase this to 9 localities. The trial resulted in 9 tons of CO2 emissions reduced, the expansion is expected to increase this significantly.

Commenting on these results, MBB Investing in Energy Project Manager Geoffrey Saliba said “Many consider energy efficiency to focus purely on upgrades to equipment. Today’s case study achieved success by identifying the least efficient operations, and tackling them through product and process development. Energy efficiency is more than equipment upgrades – it is also business planning.”

Attending business and stakeholder representatives raised several points in the following discussion, including the possibility of using night-time deliveries to alleviate traffic, and the use of electric vehicles to reduce pollution. DHL pointed out that Malta’s limited road infrastructure and traffic situation made road operations the least productive amongst its European partners, and consensus was wide that night-time deliveries for business customers is worth exploring, particularly in view of a worsening traffic situation.

Amongst the challenges facing electric vehicles are range and battery life, particularly for vehicles carrying heavy loads for delivery. While technology is expected to overcome these barriers, the attractiveness of gas-power or hybrid vehicles was outlined as a potential bridging measure.

Attention was also drawn to the importance, and demonstrated local success by implementing businesses, of digitalization using software that analyses route and vehicle performance. Such software identifies changes which could lead to improved performance and route planning based on real-time information. This was widely agreed to be the way forward in the short term, with DHL revealing plans to use such software as of 2018.

Today’s Energy Efficiency Business Breakfast is the first of several that will be organised over 2017 and 2018 by the MBB as part of the Investing in Energy Project. The Investing in Energy Project is run by the Malta Business Bureau in partnership with The Energy and Water Agency and The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, with co-financing from the Regulator for Energy and Water Services and the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business.