More blasting. Less part handling.
Published

Umicore Coatings Services Switches to 100% Renewable Energy

Umicore Coatings Services says its UK-based manufacturing facility is run entirely on renewable energy.

Share

windmills and solar panels clean energy

Photo Credit: Umicore Coatings Services

Umicore Coatings Services (UCS), a manufacturer and supplier of infrared precision optical filters and coatings, has switched its UK-based manufacturing facility to run entirely on renewable energy. The Dundee-based operation has secured Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates from its energy provider to check that its equipment and facilities are powered entirely by sustainable energy.

A REGO accreditation demonstrates that electricity has been generated from renewable sources. Energy generators are given one REGO for each megawatt hour of electricity they produce, and they are administered by the Energy Industry Regulator Ofgem.

The move is part of UCS’ plan to improve on-site energy efficiency alongside the wider Umicore Group’s Let’s Go For Zero sustainability commitment, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.

“The supply contract award came into force on April 1, 2023, with Umicore Coatings Services now powered completely by 100% renewable energy,” says Umicore’s Managing Director, Mark Naples. “We’ve endeavored to be highly proactive in this space and have now safeguarded clean, green and cost-effective energy, which will power everything we do at UCS. Environmental challenges continue to move higher up the political and public agenda, and we now represent a lasting solution and sustainable option for our customers.”

The switch will enable UCS to report zero-carbon emissions for the energy it uses to power its machinery and facilities.

Related Content

  • Trends in EV Finishing

    As OEMs put more electric vehicles — a.k.a., “green” vehicles — on the road, their colors aren’t, well, green.

  • Trivalent Chrome Overview

    As the finishing industry begins to move away from the use of hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium, what factors should finishers consider as they make new investments? Mark Schario, chief technology officer for Columbia Chemical offers a helpful overview of this complicated topic.

  • Non-PFAS Wetting Agents for Decorative Chromium(VI) Plating

    This article is based on a presentation given at NASF SUR/FIN 2022, in Rosemont, Illinois, in Session 6, Responses to PFAS / PFOA.  It follows the case study of three facilities’ conversion from PFAS-containing wetting agents to non-PFAS equivalents, eliminating PFAS and moving forward with a smaller and more sustainable environmental footprint.  The journey of conversion from PFAS-containing wetting agents in both chromic-sulfuric etch and hexavalent decorative plating tanks can be complicated and winding due to deep rooted standard industry practices, as well as state and federal regulations.  Outlined here is a clear course of action that led to eliminating PFAS from the facilities’ wetting agent strategies. 

Anodizing Conference & Expo 2024
Luster-On Products
Gardner Intelligence
PF Podcast
find masking products online
Parts Cleaning Conference
Heatmax Heaters ad with immersion heaters
Pretreatment Washer and Finishing Equipment
Bringing Powder Coating In-House, free download