“15 September 2025: Bodycote has today announced a significant milestone in its ambitious sustainability agenda; bucking the recent ‘green-hushing’ trend and highlighting both the feasibility of 2030 decarbonisation targets and customer demand for greener practices.
Bodycote, the world’s leading provider of precision heat treatment and specialist thermal processing services, has announced that two of its UK facilities – which specialise in heat treating turbine blades for Rolls-Royce jet engines – are now operating with zero carbon emissions.
In what is believed to be a sector first, the Derby and Rotherham plants are now fully electric with 100% of the electricity covered by renewable energy sources. No fossil fuels are consumed in the plants, and the zero operational emission milestone has been achieved without the use of carbon offsetting.
Bodycote, a FTSE 250 business, operates in a global heat treatment industry worth an estimated $25-30bn. Though energy intensive, the industry’s work is critical to the safety, durability and performance of products that define modern life.
Without Bodycote’s services, an aircraft engine would not survive a single flight, car gearboxes would struggle to survive a week of use, and surgical tools or joint replacements would fail to meet essential safety standards.
Jim Fairbairn, CEO of Bodycote said, “Our customers, many with ambitious 2030 targets, are looking for suppliers who can support their decarbonisation efforts. Recently, a customer with a 90% carbon reduction goal came to us because of the impact offered by our lower-carbon thermal processing. These are real demands, and the clock is ticking.
“For Bodycote, leading in this space is not only the right thing for the planet, but also the right thing for our global business. As well as the progress made in Derby and Rotherham, we are running pilot decarbonisation projects across Europe and North America.”
Supporting the UK Government’s Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy, Bodycote’s transition to zero emissions is achieved through investment in industrial heat electrification, energy-efficiency and renewable energy sourcing. A new closed circuit adiabatic cooling system was recently introduced at the Derby plant which is located alongside the Rolls Royce site. Replacing evaporative cooling towers, this innovative installation provides electricity consumption savings (as well as peak electrical load and associated carbon emissions) of 73% as well as a reduction in water use of over 85%, whilst also avoiding the need for chemical dosing and cleaning.
Larissa Lee-Favier, SVP Sustainability, Rolls-Royce, said, “We congratulate Bodycote on achieving heat treatment operations with zero emissions. We encourage all our partners and suppliers to take action to make the operations and activities they can influence sustainable. Bodycote’s achievement sets a strong and commendable example for the industry.”
As the first and only major heat treatment company with a near-term carbon reduction target verified by the Science Based Targets initiative, the business is committed to measurable progress. Its Derby and Rotherham plants now serve as blueprint sites for a global decarbonisation programme, with the next zero-emission site set to be announced in the coming months.
The transformation contributes to regional low-carbon manufacturing networks and the national goal of reducing carbon emissions. The Climate Change Committee, which reports to Parliament on the UK’s progress to adapt to climate change every two years, has recently identified the electrification of industrial heat as a top priority for the UK to meet its future carbon targets.
Baggy Shanker, Member of Parliament for Derby South and former Rolls-Royce engineer, visited the Derby site with Mr Fairbairn, meeting the team responsible for the transformation and day-to-day operations.
He added, “It’s fantastic to see such a milestone achieved here in Derby. I often hear that achieving zero emissions is too difficult or costly, so it’s refreshing to see the drive behind Bodycote’s commitment to reaching this goal at the Derby and Rotherham facilities. It’s a shining example of how industry can lead the way in building a sustainable future, setting a precedent for the sector and beyond. Congratulations to everyone at Bodycote for their vision and hard work.”
Across more than 100 sites globally, the Bodycote group is deploying a programme of energy efficiency, electrification and on-site renewable energy projects to minimise energy use and carbon emissions. Innovations include on-site nitrogen gas generators and application of novel hydrogen electrolysers. The group has also started to source green methanol for use in its processing and is exploring ways to tackle emissions relating to the supply of process gases used in furnaces, which are traditionally road transported.
Brought together, these measures will enable the offering of low or zero emission heat treatment solutions to more customers in the future. With sustainability high on the executive agenda, the group has already made significant inroads. These include a 27% reduction in energy intensity and 29% reduction in associated carbon emissions (compared to 2019 levels), targeting a 46% reduction in operational emissions by 2030.
The transition to zero operational emissions has been achieved without increasing customer costs, extending lead times or reducing capacity. The most significant outcome is the measurable reduction in carbon emissions associated with outsourced processes for Bodycote customers. Outputs run for specific customer scenarios have shown the potential to reduce emissions by up to 60% for a comparable treatment approach.[1]
Jim Fairbairn continues: “This achievement puts Derby and Rotherham on the map as centres of excellence for decarbonisation. When an energy-intensive industry like heat treatment can show real climate action, it demonstrates that a green future is within reach.”
