Germany-based rubber company Lanxess started its new onsite bagasse-powered cogeneration plant in Porto Feliz, Brazil. The 4.5 megawatt (MW) renewable-based power plant produces electricity and steam for use in Lanxess’ iron oxide pigment production at the site.
The project started in 2008 and cost around EUR 8 million ($10.9m). Lanxess says the new cogeneration plant enables the company to significantly cut CO2 emissions at the site which will be 44,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalents less than in 2002′s emissions.
Watch the video of how the cogeneration plant works. It’s really cool!
Lanxess says it has already reduced its direct climate gas emissions by more than 50% in the past two years. From 2007 to 2009, annual emissions from the group’s plants were cut from 3.5 million to 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents. Its 80% emissions reduction goal for its German plants by 2012 (announced in 2007) has also already been reached, the company says.
Further cogeneration power facilities are planned for India and Belgium this year. A power plant is already being constructed at the Nagda site as well as Lanxess’ Jhagadia sites in India. The Nagda site will use biomass-based fuels while the Jhagadia cogeneration plant will use natural gas. The energy supply at LANXESS’s site in Zwijndrecht, Belgium, is also being converted this year.