Europump calls for extended approach for Eco-Design Directive
As part of the EU Commission’s ongoing revision to the Eco-Design Directive, pump manufacturers across Europe want to implement the extended product approach (EPA) for water pumps. This is in contrast to the EU, which appears to want to stay with the ‘narrow’ approach for water pumps adopted in 2009.
Europump believes that its preferred approach would result in not only the pump being covered, but the entire pumping unit, along with the necessary electric motor and control system, falling within scope of the Directive - as is already the case with heating pumps.
This proposal could have a huge impact on energy efficiency. After China and the USA, Europe has the third largest electricity consumption in the world - around 3,300 terawatt hours (TWh) per year. More than 300 TWh of this is accounted for by electric pumps. That is the equivalent to the generated output of 30 large coal-fired power plants.
If the Eco-Design Directive can be extended the organisation calculates that energy savings could be over 100 TWh per year. This would make it possible to shut down 4 coal-fired power stations.
Europump is the European Association of Pump Manufacturers which was established in 1960. It represents 17 national associations in 14 EU Member States, as well as Turkey, Russia and Switzerland. Europump members represent more than 450 companies with a collective production value of more than €10 Billion and an employee base of some 100,000 people across Europe.
