SABIC WINS ENERGY AWARD

[BIZ/SCI-TECH: Sittard/Bergen op Zoom, June 2]
SABIC Innovative Plastics was named the national Energy Globe Award overall winner for The Netherlands in recognition of its Brine Recovery project in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands. At the EU Parliament in Brussels, the company was honored for its efforts in achieving significant environmental benefits made possible by an innovative brine recovery process, which purifies and re-uses salt in polycarbonate (PC) production. This sustainable process reduces sodium chloride use, wastewater generation, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The project was subsidized by the EU Commission's Life environment program with a grant of EUR 1.2m. Investment in eco-responsible solutions enables SABIC Innovative Plastics to provide customers with state-of-the-art products while minimizing the impact of manufacturing processes on the environment.

In 2003, SABIC Innovative Plastics opened a pilot facility in Bergen op Zoom to recover and purify sodium chloride that previously had to be mined, transported, and ultimately flushed out to sea as wastewater. This facility went into production in 2007. By recovering and reusing 72,000 tons of sodium chloride from this "brine stream," the company is projecting a 73% reduction in sodium chloride consumption, elimination of 8,900 tons/year of CO2 emissions, and a 10% reduction in wastewater discharged into sea. The emission reductions stem from lower energy requirements to mine and transport the virgin "vacuum" salt.

"We take environmental responsibility very seriously and constantly look for ways to take a leadership role," said Heiner Markhoff, president, EMEA, SABIC Innovative Plastics. "The Brine Recovery project is an outstanding example of how technological creativity combined with government partnership can make a major difference in several environmental areas - conservation of natural resources, reduction of energy use and emissions, and less waste water discharge into the ocean. We are grateful to the EU Life program for the crucial support of this successful project."
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