Seminar on the Use of High Efficiency Motors (HEM) in Industries

SERI KEMBANGAN, 25th January 2007- The Malaysian Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement Project (MIEEIP), a project implemented by Pusat Tenaga Malaysia and co-funded by the Malaysian Government, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the local private sector, today successfully organized a seminar entitled “ Seminar on the Use of High Efficiency Motors (HEM) in Industries” .
The seminar attracted an encouraging crowd of 100 participants mainly from the manufacturing and government sectors. The objective of the seminar was to disseminate information to the local manufacturing companies on the benefits and advantages resulting from the use of HEMs.
The event which was also jointly organized by the Copper Development Center SEA, saw several international speakers presenting the successes of HEM in their countries especially in the terms of energy cost savings.
In Malaysia, electric motors typically account for 70% of the electricity usage among industries. In the pulp & paper and textile industries, motors account for as much as 90% of the total electricity consumption. Motors in the industrial sectors in Malaysia consume as much as RM 6 billion in electricity usage annually.
HEMs can generally be classified as a motor where losses are reduced to an absolute minimum. This industrial equipment offers a number of potential benefits over standard motors. The benefits include lower electricity bill and reduced operating and maintenance costs through lower failure rates, unscheduled outages and enhanced service life.
High efficiency motors use less energy to perform the same work load as standard motors. HEMs cost more, however most of the models can offer substantial payback. It is also worth noting that the Malaysian Government has made it even more attractive to buy HEMs by offering exemption on import duty and sales tax and investment tax allowance for energy efficient equipment.
In addition to synergizing energy costs, improved designs and better manufacturing materials can lead to other benefits including longer insulation and bearing life, lower heat generation and less vibration.
With recent oil price increases and also increases in electricity tariff, it would be prudent for manufacturing industries to cash in on the use of HEMs to lower their electricity bills.