New investments from Sabic focused on energy efficiency at its largest U.S. plant

The first investment involves the production of the cogeneration (CoGen) plant that will use natural gas to create a majority of the steam for the site. Currently, coal boilers power 40 percent of the site's steam. Sabic says the EPA recently issued new Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Standards for industrial, commercial and institutional boilers. Sabic is building a CoGen plant that addresses the EPA standards and offers an economical and sustainable solution by leveraging the long-term supply of natural gas.

Jason Forget, external communications leader for Sabic, told PlasticsToday that some of the company's other manufacturing facilities use CoGen technology. It is expected that the CoGen plant at Mt. Vernon will open sometime around 2017, he said.

The CoGen plant is anticipated to reduce the Mt. Vernon facility's greenhouse gas intensity, which includes GHG from the site and from electricity used from the regional grid, by 35-40 percent compared to a 2010 baseline. The company claims the GHG intensity savings are equivalent to removing more than 110,000 passenger vehicles from the road annually.

Sabic's second investment will benefit the company's polycarbonate offering, Forget said.

This new technology is expected to operate 20-30 percent more efficiently than the current technology, using less steam and electricity, further improving the site's competitive position, Forget said. Additionally, this investment is expected to help the site to reduce its GHG intensity. Compared to a 2010 baseline the new technology reportedly is expected to reduce GHG intensity equivalent to removing nearly 3000 passenger vehicles from the road annually.

The Mt. Vernon site is Sabic's largest U.S. manufacturing facility employing approximately 1,200 employees. The site began operations in 1960 producing one product - Lexan (PC) resin. Today, the Mt. Vernon facility produces various types of engineering thermoplastics such as Lexan resin and Ultem resin (PEI), which are used in products such as mobile phones, computers, safety glasses and airplane fabrics.

The company says that detailed design, construction and environmental plans for both investments are being created. The business will then work with local, state and federal officials to obtain the appropriate regulatory approvals in order to begin construction.