PVS Chemicals, Inc. is partnering with Energy Systems Group, LLC a leading sustainable energy solutions provider and wholly owned subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy, Inc., to significantly improve sustainability at its sulfuric acid plant, located in Chicago, Illinois, by capturing waste steam to generate 2.6 MW of renewable electricity through a steam turbine generator in the new onsite Waste Heat to Power (WHP) Plant. The $14.2 million project, signed in June 2022, will create electricity from waste steam to generate renewable energy that is expected to cover approximately 95% of all plant electricity needs. The project should also eliminate over 12,700 tons of CO2 emissions per year, lessen utility interruptions from voltage trips, and reduce purchased water and chemical consumption.
PVS delivers sustainable chemical product solutions for its suppliers and customers. This project provides a substantial, measurable improvement to the sustainability of the Chicago production facility through generation of electricity from waste steam, which displaces electricity currently produced via fossil fuels. As a result of completing the WHP project, nearly 95% of all electricity consumed at the site is expected to be from an eligible “renewable” resource as defined by State of Illinois legislation. This generated energy also ensures that reliable, high quality sulfuric acid production continues so the plant can consistently meet production targets and demand.
Steam is generated as a result of the exothermic reaction utilized to produce sulfuric acid. Currently, a significant portion of this steam has no beneficial use. The WHP project will instead use the wasted steam to generate power. Using this steam to generate power onsite avoids the purchase of electricity from the grid, which has a high carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. In total, PVS expects to reduce its carbon footprint related to electricity by more than 12,700 tons of CO2 per year or a 115% reduction against the current carbon footprint associated with electric power. This expected GHG reduction is equivalent to any of the following
-
1,452 home annual energy consumption
-
2,484 cars driving for one year
-
1,402,157,854 cell phone charges
-
529,292 mature trees in a forest (almost 30 times the carbon sequestration of Central Park, NYC which contains 18,000 trees)
“This commitment in Chicago is a great example of our approach to business,” said Tim Nicholson, Chief Operating Officer of PVS. “The new installation will take thousands of tons of CO2 out of the air while simultaneously making the facility sustainable for the long term.”
“ESG applauds PVS for their dedication and passion to a cleaner, more sustainable environment. We are truly honored to be a strategic business partner of PVS and provide them with a unique, creative approach to the development and construction of this environmentally beneficial project.”
Jarrett Simon, Vice President of ESG, Public Sector and Sustainable Infrastructure
About PVS Chemicals, Inc.
PVS Chemicals, Inc., founded in Detroit in 1945, has more than 1,400 employees worldwide and has 17 manufacturing plants and several distribution facilities across the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. What PVS provides touches everyone in some unique way. That’s why at PVS, Chemistry For Daily Life™ isn’t just a tagline, it’s a promise. PVS is a global manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of high- quality chemicals and provides reliable transportation services to its suppliers and customers. PVS provides sustainable solutions around the world to diverse industries that include electronics, manufacturing, steel, agricultural, fine chemicals, metal finishing, water treatment and food processing. PVS is committed to 100% customer satisfaction and creating a circular economy to maximize the use and reuse of our planet’s resources.
About Energy Systems Group, LLC
ENERGY SYSTEMS GROUP®, a wholly owned subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy, Inc., is a leading sustainable energy solutions provider that specializes in energy efficiency, sustainability, resiliency, and infrastructure improvement solutions in the government, education, healthcare, commercial, and industrial sectors. ESG also offers a full range of sustainable infrastructure solutions including waste-to-energy, distributed generation, and renewable energy.