LIEN member results and targets

The total primary energy requirement (TPER) of the Large Industry Energy Network (LIEN) network was reported as 30,327 GWh in 2022. This accounts for approximately 18% of the national TPER. With the publication of the Climate Action Plan 2022 we expect that interest in the network will continue to grow as large energy users come under increasing pressure to decarbonise their operations.

According to the data submitted by members, the total LIEN CO2 emissions reported for 2022 was 5.018 million tonnes, an overall reduction of 1% compared with 2021 and accounts for 8.1% of national CO2 emissions.

Members are categorised by sector: Pharma/Chem, Food/Drink, Healthcare, Electronics and Other. More information on each sector is provided in the tabs above. Levels of output from the different sectors varied in 2022.

Energy Saving Projects

For the 2022 period, data reported on energy saving projects demonstrated a saving of 783 GWh of final energy. It is estimated that 177 kt CO2 emissions were avoided in 2022 due to these reported energy savings and companies saved €57.7 million on their energy bills.

Pharma/Chem represents 22% of the overall LIEN membership and 9.5% of the network TPER. The sector includes the traditional bulk active pharmaceutical companies, final product packaging and the bio pharma industry. The LIEN Pharma/Chem sector CO₂ emissions decreased by 5% on average in 2022.

Food / Drink has the largest number of members in the LIEN and are collectively responsible for 18.9% of the network’s TPER and 18.2% of the network emissions. In 2022, CO2 emissions reported decreased by 10% compared with 2021. Food and drink products rely heavily on international trade, and excellence in energy management will continue to be critical to their success in this competitive international marketplace

Healthcare represents 12.8% of the overall LIEN membership and 3.8% of the network TPER. The LIEN Healthcare sector CO2 reported emissions decreased by 3% in 2022. Regulatory constraints mean that members tend to replicate solutions tested by other industries and use the network to learn from the experiences of others.

LIEN members within the Electronics sector account for 8.4% of the network’s TPER. CO2 in the sector accounted for 9.5% of the network’s emissions and increased by 5% in 2022. Most of this sectoral representation in the LIEN can be attributed to a small number of companies and as so results can vary compared with other sectors.

The 'Other' sector accounts for 59.3% of the network's TPER. The sector is made up of a mix of retail, technology, and services companies, and some of the more traditional 'heavy industries', such as cement manufacture and refining. These heavy industries unsurprisingly account for a large proportion of the energy consumed by the group. In 2022, the group’s CO2 emissions increased by 2.8 %.