Workload increases and so does energy efficiency

● DHL shares energy efficiency strategy with industry peers

At a business breakfast 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 increased its energy efficiency by five per cent over 2015, despite a 16 per cent 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. Its strategic approach is worth emulating, and its altruism in sharing information is appreciated.”

Apart from an energy management strategy focused on seven key areas, DHL Express Malta identified a rate of 13 per cent 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 three localities proved successful, and plans are underway to increase this to nine. The trial resulted in nine tons of reduced CO2 emissions and the expansion is expected to increase this significantly.

Commenting on these results, MBB Investing in Energy Project Manager Geoffrey Saliba said: “Many think that energy efficiency focuses 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.”

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 among its European partners, and consensus was wide that night-time deliveries for business customers was worth exploring, particularly in view of the worsening traffic situation.

Two of 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 gaspower or hybrid vehicles was outlined as a potential bridging measure.

Attention was also drawn to the importance and local success of businesses that implemented digitalization by 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.

The Energy Efficiency Business Breakfast was the first of several that will be organised in 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. For more information, contact Geoffrey Saliba, Investing in Energy Project Manager on gsaliba@mbb.org.mt or call 7905 9501