Staff Writer
Ten energy efficiency projects implemented in 2014 at three Eastman Chemical Company facilities and one Eastman’s joint venture partner facility saved enough energy to power more than 1,800 homes. The projects included the installation of new equipment, creative process redesign and operational changes.
Eastman’s Operations in Kingsport, Tennessee, implemented six energy efficiency projects:
- Flash System: Installing a flash system that utilized 600 psig condensate from columns eliminated sending 600 psig steam through valves to produce 300 psig steam.
- Warehouse Lighting: Replaced 452-watt fluorescent lights with LED lights with occupancy sensors.
- Energy Reduction: Involving employees in energy efficiency efforts resulted in a 26 percent reduction in energy use between 2013 and 2014.
- Azeo Energy Optimization: A process control strategy was developed to optimize low and medium pressure steam use on distillation columns.
- Weak Mixed Acid Target Change: By optimizing the concentration of an acid feed stream, downstream acid reprocessing was reduced.
- Vacuum Pumps: Less efficient steam jets were replaced with liquid ring vacuum pumps, which eliminated the loss of steam condensate and resulted in lower energy use.
Eastman’s Indian Orchard Operations in Springfield, Massachusetts, implemented two energy efficiency projects:
- Hot Water Recycle Project: Cooling water that was previously being sent to the sewer is now being recycled for use as feed to the washing process.
- Condensate Coil Heat Recovery: A reduction in dryer steam consumption was achieved by installing a new heat recovery system designed to re-use waste condensate that was previously being sent to the sewer.
Eastman’s Chestertown Operations in Chestertown, Maryland, implemented the following project:
- Conversion to Propane Fuel: Steam generation units were converted to propane from #6 fuel oil, burners were replaced, and a new burner management system was installed on the larger, primary steam boiler. The plant retired two of the older, less efficient thermal oil furnaces and replaced them with a new, more efficient unit.
Primester, Eastman’s joint venture partner located at its Kingsport, Tennessee, site, implemented the following project:
- Heat Integration: In Primester’s acid recovery process, a new heat interchanger was installed upstream of a cooling water condenser to capture the extra heat in a hot process stream and preheat the feed to a primary distillation column, thereby reducing total steam used to heat the process.
Eastman was one of 20 American Chemistry Council (ACC) members to be honored at the ACC Responsible Care Conference and Expo for implementing energy efficiency improvements in 2014. Eastman was one of three industrial facilities recognized last year by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its highly efficient combined heat and power (CHP) systems.
