Advanced technology firm Lockheed Martin has achieved the ISO50001 energy management standard for its Ampthill site following an energy efficiency drive that cut electricity bills by more than £150,000.
The Bedfordshire business has adopted a number of energy saving measures in recent years, including replacing lighting, installing energy-efficient heating units, and fitting 77 electrical sub-meters to monitor energy use. Recycling campaigns and processes have also been introduced, successfully increasing employee recycling rates to 91%.
These methods have resulted in Ampthill becoming the company’s greenest site in the UK and have enabled it to achieve the globally-recognised standard for energy management.
Graham Harraway, director of operations at the Ampthill site, said: “We’re incredibly proud that our efforts have been recognised.
“Lockheed Martin UK’s Ampthill site has grown enormously over the past few years, and we now employ more than 900 people. We’ve secured major contracts to work on armoured vehicles for the British Army and have significantly increased our manufacturing facilities. This growth meant that we recognised a need to improve our processes and to increase sustainability and energy efficiency.
“We put several measures in place and the whole business enthusiastically supported them. The results speak for themselves. Not only have we saved a huge amount of money, we’ve also reduced our energy consumption and emissions.
“We’re delighted to be the greenest Lockheed Martin UK site and we’ll keep looking for ways to improve.”
While Lockheed Martin was keen to push forward energy efficiency at Ampthill, Harraway added its diverse business meant ISO50001 would not be the best way to drive improvements at other sites. However, this accreditation will be used by other sites as a guide should they wish to follow the same route.
In a recent report on the Government’s energy efficiency efforts, the Ministry of Defence – which counts Lockheed Martin among its suppliers – failed to achieve its owns targets for greenhouse gas reduction.
