Energy

The manufacturing processes of our products demand a relatively large amount of energy. In part, this is due to our decision to maximize the amount of solvents we recycle. Of course, our main goal is to reduce our overall energy use – both to help preserve the environment and to reduce our operating costs. To reach this goal, our existing processes will need to be optimized, and in the development of each new process, energy consumption will be a central concern. Eco-Efficiency Analyses can help us monitor our production processes and reveal opportunities and priorities for improvement in the chain.

Binding targets

In 2009, the Netherlands Chemical Industry Association (the VNCI), signed its third Multi-year Agreement. As a member of the VNCI, Teijin Aramid is also bound by this agreement, which stipulates that Teijin Aramid has a ‘best efforts obligation’ to save an average of 2% of the energy it currently gets from fossil fuels each year until 2020. Energy efficiency plans to reach this target for the years to come have already been made.

Per-site efficiency

Over the last five years we have measured the energy efficiency index (EEI) for each of our production sites (see graph below). This EEI shows the energy consumption relative to the amount of Twaron produced. The lower the number, the better the energy efficiency. In 2009 our EEI was well above our goal for all sites. The cause was the sharp reduction in our production volume due to the economic crisis. In 2010 our EEI improved: only the results in Delfzijl were above the target.

Each of the sites have taken measures to make their production processes more energy efficient. At the moment, no sustainable energy is used, but we are looking for ways to change this in the future. In four years’ time, we want to consume 8.5% less fossil fuel. We believe we can save 5.2% in our own processes, and a further 3.3% in the chain. We have already achieved the VNCI’s target (to use 2% less fossil fuel) in the course of 2009 and 2010, and we are currently on track to reach our own target in the coming years.