Ideas of employees of Endesa power plants generate 12.5 million euros

• Following the success of the first call of hydroelectric power station employees, the Endesa BYEM plan, "Search and Find Improvements", was extended to include employees in production units at the company's coal-fired, diesel, fuel, and combined cycle power stations.
• In the new edition, there were 275 ideas from the 28 production units, which represent an employee participation rate of more than 7%.

Creativity and good ideas from the workplace can be very profitable for the company. This is the philosophy behind the BYEM plan, Search and Find Improvements, developed by Endesa among employees of its electricity production units. With their contribution, employees participating in the plan were able to generate 12.5 million euros between recurring annual cost savings and revenue enhancements in hydroelectric, thermal gas and diesel, and combined cycle power stations; and, more significantly, of that 12.5 million, 11.1 million was achieved through changes in the conditions of production processes without the need for direct investment.

Since the last edition of BYEM, held in March 2014, a total of 275 proposals have been received, 77 of which have already been implemented, 64 are being implemented, 124 are still being studied, while only 10 have been dismissed.

This data confirms the success of this initiative, which has achieved a high degree of participation: 7 out of every 100 employees have contributed ideas for improvement. The proposals being presented now, when implemented, will increase the sum generated by employee ideas to 20.6 million euros.

BYEM is an intervention on the part of Endesa's Generation Directorate which was introduced five years ago in hydroelectric power stations, and which promotes an internal system for the promotion of ideas. The main goals of the plan are to search for and enhance improvements in all processes and production facilities, to promote a culture of improvement throughout the organization and to do so continuously and permanently.

In light of its success, this year the initiative was extended to employees of coal-fired, fuel oil and gas combined-cycle power stations.

Each edition culminates with the BYEM prize-giving ceremony, which rewards the proposed improvements. At the event held this year at Endesa’s headquarters in Madrid, the company’s CEO, José Bogas, highlighted "the value of some initiatives that come from the workplace and pose the involvement of teams of people beyond strict compliance with their professional responsibilities".

The prize for the Best Overall BYEM Proposal went, in this edition, to the initiative developed at the Compostilla power station (Leon) for operational improvements in the automation of the plant’s combustion mix, which have allowed a saving of more than 8 million euros.

In addition to this special award, 12 other improvement proposals are recognized and grouped into four categories: occupational health and safety, environment, operational efficiency and innovation.

Prize for the best health and safety proposal

• Hydroelectric power stations: Production Unit South
• Coal-fired power stations: Thermal Production Unit, Alcudia (Balearic Islands).
• Combined cycle power stations and thermal oil and gas power stations: Reus Thermal Power Station (Alcudia, Mallorca).

Prize for the best environmental proposal

• Hydroelectric power stations:  Production Unit Northwest/Presa Ribeira
• Coal-fired power stations: Litoral Thermal Production Unit (Carboneras Almería).
• Combined cycle and thermal oil and gas power stations: Las Salinas Thermal Power Station (Fuerteventura).

Prize for the best proposal in innovation

• Hydroelectric power stations: Ebro Pyrenees Hydraulic Production Unit.
• Coal-fired power stations: As Pontes Thermal Production Unit (As Pontes, La Coruña).
• Combined cycle and thermal oil and gas power stations. Ibiza Thermal Power Station.

Prize for the best operational efficiency proposal

• Hydroelectric power stations: Production Unit South/Cíjara and Port Peña Power Stations.
• Coal-fired power stations: Andorra Thermal Production Unit (Andorra, Teruel).
• Combined cycle and thermal oil and gas power stations: Bésos Thermal Power Station (Sant Adrià de Besos, Barcelona).