Water pumps and the Europe-wide opportunity for huge energy savings
Published: 30 March, 2021
Despite the UK’s departure from the European Union, the British Pump Manufacturers’ Association (BPMA) will retain its membership of Europump, the European Association of Pump Manufacturers. Established in 1960, this influential body represents 16 national pump associations in 12 EU Member States as well as Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, and the UK.
Europump members represent more than 450 pump companies with a collective production value of more than €10 Billion and an employee base of some 100,000 people across Europe. As a founding member, the BPMA will continue to play a significant role in the activities carried out by Europump, as much of the work undertaken will remain of relevance and importance to the UK.
One such area of activity relates to the EU’s ongoing revision of the Eco-Design Directive and its Implementing Measures, which are intended to facilitate a notable reduction in the energy used by a broad range of products and equipment, be they for domestic, commercial, or industrial applications.
In essence, the BPMA, along with its counterparts across Europe want to implement the extended product approach (EPA) for water pumps. This would mean, in energy use assessment terms as required by the Directive, that not only should the actual pump be included, but also the associated electric motor and control system, which collectively comprise the entire pumping unit.
Representations are said to be ongoing, with the pump industry determined to encourage the legislators to move away from the existing product approach that was adopted in 2009 for water pumps.
Frank Ennenbach, chairman of the Standards Commission at Europump (pictured) commented: “We see a real danger that we will not save the 35 TWh that we could. We will then miss the opportunity to make a major contribution to sustainability and climate protection.” He continued, “We have everything we need. We just need the legislator to make the right decisions.”
The BPMA, along with all the member organisations within Europump, say they support the demand of pump manufacturers to move from the ‘narrow’ to the ‘extended’ product approach for water pumps.
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