Motor systems account for more than 60 % of the electricity consumed in industry worldwide. Appropriate use of existing technologies in motor-driven systems could save about 200 billion kWh of electricity per year in Europe alone. Electricity consumption in compressed air systems is about 80 TWh in the EU-15; worldwide consumption amounts to about 400 TWh. Highest electricity consumption for compressed air occurs in the chemical industry and the steel industry, the highest share of consumption for compressed air to total consumption of 18 % occurs in the textile and leather industry. The economic energy saving potential in compressed air systems is about one third, equivalent to about 2.3 % of the industrial electricity consumption worldwide. Barriers hindering the realisation of this potential are mainly managerial or financial. To achieve the same amount of emission reductions, it would be possible to retrofit one coal-fired power station with carbon capture instead of optimizing 380 compressed air plants of average size. However, economics favour energy efficiency improvements.
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