Exclusive: 'Saving the Food and Beverage Sector's Energy Crisis... Once and For All'

The front cover of the September / October 2023 edition

Food & Drink News: The industry has tried many different things in a bid to drive forward better energy efficiency. But, according to UrbanChain co-founder Mo Hajhashem, changes introduced have been ornamental rather than fundamental

“Food and drink is not a luxury. It’s a necessity.”

The words of UrbanChain co-founder Dr. Mo Hajhashem.

Manchester-headquartered UrbanChain, the leading provider of peer-to-peer energy exchange services in the UK, was founded in 2017 and is disrupting the energy market.

Put simply, those who join UrbanChain’s deeptech platform, buy and sell 100% local, traceable energy amongst themselves.

Private companies from multiple sectors, generators of renewable energy, local authorities, social housing associations, manufacturers, energy suppliers and households are all part of the company’s established renewable energy trading market.

So are businesses, organisations and associations that operate in the food and beverage space.

“The potential for peer-to-peer energy exchange in the food and drink industry,” says Dr Hajhashem, “is massive.”

He adds: “In fact, because of the complexity of its supply chain and sheer size, this industry can benefit more than any other.”

Unprecedented rises in energy prices are affecting food and beverage businesses dramatically.

Throw wages - if you can hire people from a labour pool shortage - and raw materials in and you can see why so many are struggling to keep pace.

Unfortunately, there’s little sign of a brighter future when it comes to trimming costs in a bid to become more operationally efficient.

“The food and drink industry is a very unique industry,” says Dr. Hajhashem, “there are the farms, the manufacturers, the retail, the cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels etc. It’s the farm to fork scenario and it is complex and highly fragmented.

“It doesn’t take much to figure that there is a high element of energy usage, which combined together results in rocketing prices.

“If prices are going up, more people cannot afford it and it results in the present situation where too many industry participants are losing on a daily basis.”

The question then is how can a win-win scenario for all participants be created within an industry facing an uphill battle?

To read the full article in Food & Drink News click here