Energy
Because of competitiveness, saving on energy has always been an issue. Fuelled by the global discussion on green house gas emission and the sky high energy prices, all European man-made fibre producers have invested heavily to reduce their energy consumption. The European industry in general, has reduced the energy use by 30% compared to 1990, which is more than anywhere else in the world. The man-made fibre industry has contributed to that by yearly energy savings of 2 to 5% in average.
In Europe, energy is in general supplied by combined heat power installations, generating both electricity and steam for the production process at the same time. These installations are generally fired with environmentally compatible natural gas which contains virtually no pollutants.
Where economically feasible, waste is burned. The waste heat from the combustion processes is incorporated into the steam network and used for production. By doing this, substantial quantities of natural gas can be saved. Flue gas purification system is located downstream of the incineration facility, guaranteeing that the strict exhaust air regulations are met.
As the result of the European Emission Trading System it is expected that the availability of low environmental impact energy that comes from renewable sources will increase. The man-made fibre industry will certainly take the opportunity to switch to these “green” energy sources.
For more specific info on the energy saving result, see members website.