Energy and water consumption
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Water conservation and greenhouse gas emissions are key challenges for the company. Electricity, natural gas, oil and other fuels are consumed in the resin manufacturing process.
Australian Vinyls is a signatory to the Australian Government's Greenhouse Challenge Plus and Victoria's Energy Smart programs. We are committed to stabilising our overall energy consumption and reducing our total CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of PVC produced.
Over the past six years, the company has successfully reduced energy consumption by 19% and greenhouse gas emissions by 22% per tonne of PVC produced.
Australian Vinyls' energy achievements have been recognised by both State and Federal government with the following awards:
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- 2001 Best Manufacturer, Energy Smart Awards, Sustainable Energy Authority, Victoria
- 2005 Outstanding Achievement Award in Greenhouse Gas Abatement, Greenhouse Challenge Plus, National Greenhouse Office.
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Production of PVC resin requires large quantities of water and, in the past, AV’s annual consumption of water made it one of the top 20 water users in metropolitan Melbourne.
Water is used in approximately equal quantities to VCM in the polymerisation process. All of the water is removed following polymerisation. Additional water is used in other process operations such as flushing, washing, pressure testing, steam-stripping and heat exchanging and cooling.
Between 2000 and 2010, the company reduced water consumption per unit of production by almost 30%.
Its long term goal is zero fresh water use in manufacturing. To work towards this, in 2007, the company in partnership with the Victorian Government, commenced significant investment in a project to recycle a major proportion of its potable water use using membrane technology.
The effluent recycling plant constructed was officially opened by the Premier of Victoria in February 2010. By recycling water from the resin plant's trade waste discharge for use back in the manufacturing process, the company can save an estimated 325 million litres per annum in potable water intake. The recycling plant also reduces the trade waste discharge by about 70 percent.
Future fresh water use reductions will be achieved by purchasing recycled water when available, from the water market.
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