Climate change is arguably the number one issue of our times. Increasing global realization of this, and confrontation of the actions necessary to mitigate it, has already had a substantial impact on the industries Wellington serves, and we expect this trend to continue. Global electricity demand is outpacing growth of renewable generation. The IEA’s roadmap to net-zero calls for coal-fired electricity generation to fall by 6% a year: in practice, it is expected to increase by 3% in 2022. International Energy Agency, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented drop in power demand due to lockdowns and slow economic activity, however 2022 is expected to see demand back to pre-pandemic numbers. As the world recovers from the economic crisis, aided by massive government stimulus, power generation across the world will continue to increase, in line with previous predictions. The impact this has on the environment and our global climate can no longer be ignored.
“Efficiency-related spending makes up two-thirds of government clean energy and sustainable recovery measures.” International Energy Agency, 2021
Energy efficiency regulations have been a strong driver of the growth of Wellington’s motors business, and we expect to see further regulatory tightening in future years, as it becomes apparent that currently planned measures are insufficient.
Additionally, “green consumer” pressure and a growing sophistication among consumers is driving a shift from greenwashing to genuine corporate leadership on climate action. For example, in 2021 among Wellington’s customer base, major Coca Cola bottler CCEP has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 and has linked achieving carbon reduction targets to executive remuneration, while Heineken has committed to 100% of their coolers being in the top efficiency class by 2027.
“With planetary concerns now the number one global issue for consumers, brands are moving on from simply proclaiming their credentials to meeting a clear, agreed and understandable measurement of their environmental and social impact.” Innova Market Insights, 2021
To help its customers meet their need for efficient and climate-friendly cooling, Wellington developed its ECR® 2 refrigeration motor with best in class efficiency and reliability. This also sees companies ROI (through reduced power consumption) and sustainability increased. ECR 2 refrigeration motors are proven to be up to 99.97% reliable in the field, saving warranty costs, and their dual voltage capability means that one motor works anywhere in the world. And at only 36.5 dBA, they are among the quietest motors in the industry too.
Eight years after adopting Wellington’s ECR 2 motor technology. Mexican company Gepp recently took out the Wellington annual sustainability award in recognition of its CO2 emissions reduction. Gepp and its customers have avoided over 370,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions by their adoption of ECR 2 motors.
With the three millionth ECR 2 rolling off of the production line in August of 2021 it is very apparent that the motor has been meeting (and exceeding) the requirements of our global manufacturing customers. Our currently deployed fleet of ECR 2's have accumulated an impressive 2.2TWh of energy savings over an equivalent number of shaded pole motors.
With the world-leading performance of our ECR 2 motors, advanced control features, and capability to allow brands to measure and prove their equipment’s real-world energy use with our Connect™ SCS refrigeration controllers, Wellington is well-positioned to improve our customers’ sustainability and aid them in meeting worldwide governmental regulations, whilst providing their end-users with savings in power and CO2 emissions and delivering an attractive ROI. As a result, Wellington continues to lead the industry.
