SCIENCE & TECH: Industrial sustainability with private wireless networks and the industrial edge

According to recent data from the International Energy Agency, industrial sectors, such as chemical manufacturing and mining, currently contribute 25% of all global CO2 emissions and 37% of all global energy consumption.

Industries face increasing pressure to develop net-zero roadmaps. As sustainability rises on the corporate agenda, digitalization contributes to a clear, strategic path to achieving commercial, operational, and sustainability goals for today’s industrial enterprises.

Industry 4.0: Accelerating Sustainability in Industrial Enterprises

Industrial enterprises are increasingly implementing Industry 4.0 to achieve greater operational efficiency and sustainability across their operations. The Internet of Things (IoT) stands out as a significant enabler of sustainability within industrial enterprises. IoT technology combined with seamless connectivity facilitates the continuous flow of real-time data by linking devices, machines, and sensors across the industrial site, which helps reduce fuel, waste, energy consumption and carbon emissions.

For instance, IoT sensors capture real-time energy data from machinery and equipment across entire facilities, allowing enterprises to identify inefficiencies and make precise adjustments to reduce energy waste and lower utility bills. Additionally, IoT technology tracks production outputs and material usage in real-time, helping companies better align supply with demand and swiftly address issues such as overproduction and misallocation of resources. This minimizes the environmental impact of enterprise operations while fostering a more efficient operational model, delivering significant commercial benefits for businesses.

Industrial Edge and Private Wireless Networks Strengthening Sustainability

Industrial enterprises increasingly recognize digitalization’s sustainability benefits, with Industry 4.0 applications powered by private wireless networks driving significant operational improvements and footprint reductions. In fact, according to the 2024 Industrial Digitalization report, by deploying private wireless networks, 79% of enterprises surveyed by GlobalData, reported a reduction in carbon emissions.

Industry 4.0 use cases require the kind of high bandwidth, low latency connectivity provided by 4.9G/LTE and 5G private wireless networks to ensure uninterrupted operations to realize the sustainability and efficiency benefits that come with Industry 4.0.

For example, with reliable worker communication, workers have instant access to the right expertise to repair malfunctioning machinery – this not only reduces truck rolls and fuel use, but also ensures quick repairs to lower unnecessary energy consumption by faulty equipment.

Drones can be used for remote inspections of dangerous or hard-to-reach locations, also reducing vehicle-based inspections and identifying potential issues early before major breakdowns and expensive repairs are required, which often consume more resources and produce more waste. Remote-controlled machines, such as port cranes or robots in chemical plants, can significantly improve the efficiency and safety of operations, while reducing energy consumption and associated carbon emissions.

As global ESG commitments become more stringent, industrial enterprises must invest in the right tools to build towards their sustainability goals. The Private Wireless Sustainability Calculator provides enterprises with a clear digitalization path to reach their goals. Combining handprint and footprint analysis, the calculator helps enterprises estimate how new Industry 4.0 use cases, powered by high-performance private wireless and industrial edge, are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as worker safety incidents.

Currently available for mining, ports and chemical manufacturing, enterprises can use insights from the calculator to make informed decisions and guide operational planning and investment choices. The calculator shows that digitalization and use cases like critical worker communication and environmental monitoring are critical tools to support their sustainability goals while also driving operational efficiencies and profitability.

A Data-Driven Approach to Sustainability

Reliable data lies at the heart of a successful sustainability strategy – without it, enterprises are operating in the dark, using inaccurate views of their footprint and the impact operational changes have on their ESG targets, skewing reporting, decision-making and long-term planning. IBM reports that 41% of executives name inadequate data as a top barrier to ESG progress. Yet, despite this, KPMG found that almost 50% of companies still manage ESG data manually in spreadsheets, making reporting extremely time-consuming and prone to human error.

Digitalization allows enterprises to collect comprehensive real-time operational technology (OT) data from all systems, machines and sensors. With an on-premises industrial edge, that data gets aggregated into a single data hub, eliminating data siloes to enable a single unified view on sustainability performance across the operation. Access to all operational data in real-time enables teams to align their efforts with sustainability goals and support ESG reporting, leading to more efficient resource management, optimized production schedules, and minimizing waste. Having the right digital foundation enables industrial enterprises to make immediate progress while setting the stage for future sustainability and increased profitability.

In asset-intensive environments such as manufacturing or port operations, all processes are interlinked and dependent on one another. Any interruption or issue in this chain will result in interruptions and losses for the entire process. This means that there is a need for continuous operations, underpinned by redundancies and mission-critical performances with reliability of 99.99% or more across connectivity, and operational technology (OT).

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