BP wins Ford energy contract

BRITISH PETROLEUM has won a contract to manage and operate the energy plants at Ford's Halewood site on Merseyside. Although no value is given for the contract, it is believed to be the largest of its kind in the UK.

Nick Coleman, managing director of BP Energy, said savings of up to 25 per cent could be achieved through proper energy management.

The Government estimates that industry spends at least pounds 7bn a year on energy, including pounds 4bn on electricity. According to BP Energy, another pounds 2bn is spent by companies on managing their energy needs.

The Halewood site is one of the largest consumers of energy in Britain, using enough to heat a small town. Halewood spends around pounds 7m annually on electricity and a further pounds 3.5m on heating and process gas.