A DuPont plant in Orange, Texas has been honored by the American Chemistry Council for energy-efficiency improvements that saved about 540 billion btu.
The DuPont packaging and industrial polymers operations site cut consumption by enough to power 3,800 households, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30,000, the company said.
The plant upgraded the design of its ethylene furnaces to achieve more than 67 million btu/hr fuel savings. The investment builds on upgrades made in 2008, which reduced annual CO2 emissions by 34 million pounds (17,000 tons).
According to the ACC, innovations such as these by winners of its Energy Efficiency Awards in 2010 resulted in annual energy savings of 14.8 trillion btu.
“Achievements such as these reductions help us support customers who are looking for reduced environmental impact throughout their value chains," said Shanna Moore, DuPont's global sustainability director of packaging and industrial polymers.
The Orange plant is DuPont’s largest manufacturing site in Texas and makes ethylene copolymers, such as Surlyn ionomer resin and Vamac ethylene acrylic elastomers, which are used for packaging, automotive components, construction materials and other everyday items.
DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers manufactures adhesive, barrier, peelable lidding and sealant resins. The company says it works with customers on packaging programs that help protect the product and environment while improving shelf appeal and reducing costs.
