The De'Longhi Group looks to the future with hydrogen-ready, financed Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

Founded in the 1970s, De' Longhi is an Italian company that produces "large" small household appliances that are loved all over the world. A leading industrial company and a source of pride all over the world, they combine the international dimension of a listed company with the family history and original values of an iconic brand.

Although strongly rooted in Italy with its headquarters in Treviso, today the De' Longhi Group is one of the world's leading players in the field of small household appliances - dedicated to the world of coffee, cooking, air conditioning and home care. 

Present in 120 markets around the world, they have about 30 commercial branches, three competence centres and six production plants in Italy, Romania, Switzerland and China, and over 10,000 employees. It is the home of five renowned brands (De' Longhi, Kenwood, Braun, Ariete and NutriBullet) and has a turnover that exceeds €3 billion.

State-of-the-art production with significant energy consumption

The Italian manufacturing plant in Mignagola is a flagship of Italian industry. So much so, that it has been recognised by the World Economic Forum as one of the best-in-class in the sector, thanks to the investments made in recent years in digitisation and process automation.

Covering an area of about 50,000 square meters, it currently employs more than 900 people entirely dedicated to the production and distribution of coffee machines for domestic use. Their annual production well exceeds one million pieces and is characterised by highly verticalised processes. In addition to the assembly department, there is a plastic moulding department and a mechanical processing department, where the machines are produced. Both processes are characterised by continuous cycle processing and are highly energy-intensive.

The reduction of energy consumption is a crucial aspect of the Group's sustainability strategy, because it is able to respond both to the demand for cost reduction and to the need to reduce direct CO₂ emissions, which are mainly attributable to the energy consumption of production sites.

The Group demonstrates a constant commitment to research and study of solutions that allow them to reduce the environmental impact of their daily activities. As Rudi Sperandio, Operations Plant Director De' Longhi Appliances, explains: "Sustainability for the De' Longhi Group means looking to the future with a responsible commitment that is renewed year after year.

"A path that has the firm goal of managing energy resources responsibly and efficiently; actively contributing to the fight against climate change through the use of low-emission and energy-efficient products; and continuing towards the gradual decarbonisation of our processes. It is with this approach that we have chosen Centrica Business Solutions, which has proven to be a competent partner able to guarantee project performance."

Energy monitoring, hydrogen-ready CHP, O&M and lighting: progressing towards sustainability with a multi-technology project

Following the energy audit, Centrica Business Solutions designed a multi-product solution that complements an existing Solar PV plant with a fully funded 1.5 MW hydrogen-ready trigeneration plant, operation and maintenance services, energy consumption monitoring using Panoramic Power wireless sensors, and LED lighting.

The trigeneration plant, installed with an outdoor containerised solution, allows the company a significant reduction in consumption. It delivers 77% of their cooling needs, 75% of their electricity needs and 80% of their hot water needs, thus contributing to an annual economic saving of more than 25%.

Fully financed by Centrica Business Solutions through a Discount Energy Purchase (DEP) contract, the zero-investment contract model chosen by De' Longhi has the advantage of having a predictable energy costs and operating expenses, because it allows the price of electricity, cooling and heat to be set for the duration of the contract. This leaves the company with complete cost control and reduces their exposure to market fluctuations. De' Longhi Group can remain focused on its core business, while significant economic savings are generated that can be re invested in its activities.

The sustainability credentials of CHP are further enhanced by the plant being 100% hydrogen ready, which allows the company to future-proof its energy strategy and contribute to the goal of achieving Net Zero, through the complete decarbonisation of its processes. The plant reduces CO₂ emissions by the equivalent of 1,500 tonnes per year.

Centrica Business Solutions was also responsible for the renovation of the lighting systems of the Italian plant, which resulted in the replacement of traditional systems with LED lamps, which - with the same performance - allowed a significant reduction in energy consumption.

We then installed 70 LED projectors in the production work-showroom area and redesigned the lighting of the finished product warehouse, which was equipped with motion sensors that allow the lighting system to be activated only if necessary. These activities have already saved around 1 million kWh of electricity at the Mignagola plant.

The partnership between Centrica Business Solutions and De' Longhi is a winning one, because it fully supports a path of increasing their energy autonomy, alongside delivering environmental sustainability, significant economic savings and new, future-proofed technologies.