sain t-gobain annu al report 2008 annual report

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warehouses and other similar spaces. An action plan
governing new construction and major renovations was
launched in 2008. Energy consumption for all new offices,
training centers and other buildings apart from production
shops, warehouses and depots must now be less than 80 or
120 kWh/sq.m, depending on the country. A diagnostic analysis
of all existing buildings will begin in 2009 and the results
mapped by 2010. Actions to upgrade the entire building stock
will be taken between 2011 and 2040.
NO x and SO 2
Some of our facilities – mainly glassworks and Pipe Division
plants – emit sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and nitrogen oxides (NO x),
which contribute to acid rain. These two forms of emissions
are regulated, in particular by the European Union’s IPPC
(Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) directive
aimed at reducing pollution generated by industrial plants.
Our different Sectors have been striving to cut their
sulfur dioxide emissions for several years now by using
higher-quality fuel oil or coal slack, lower their energy
consumption and introduce desulfurization processes.
As part of this initiative, we are investing in pollution control
equipment for the Innovative Materials Sector - Flat Glass
(see below). In 2008, glass furnaces at Saint-Gobain’s
concerned sites discharged 2.46 kg of SO 2 per ton of finished
glass produced, while concerned sites in the Pipe Division
discharged 1 kg of SO 2 for each ton of cast iron produced,
representing a total of 38,094 tons of SO 2.
Saint-Gobain companies seek to reduce their nitrogen oxide
emissions by emphasizing primary measures to prevent
or limit NO x production at source. Oxygen furnaces offer
an interesting alternative; by eliminating the nitrogen
contained in the combustion air, they produce substantially
less NO x. However, cost considerations make it difficult
to adopt this technology in the Innovative Materials Sector –
Flat Glass and Packaging Sector. The Flat Glass Division is
continuing to work on developing primary methods
for reducing NO x emissions. A pilot furnace installed
at its Calarasi site in Romania offers greater gas combustion
efficiency, with the result that NO x concentration
in the resulting stack gas is less than 800 mg/Nm 3 . In 2008,
glass furnaces at concerned sites discharged 2.61 kg of NO x
per ton of finished glass produced, while Pipe Division
concerned sites discharged 1.31 kg of NO x for each ton of cast
iron produced, representing a total of 40,944 tons of NO x.
Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) derive from the organic
matter used for various applications, including fiber bonding,
binders for glass wool and abrasives, silicon carbide (especially
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), asphalt roofing shingles,
solvent-based coatings for cast iron pipes and wood finishing
and preservation products at Lapeyre. The release of VOCs
into the atmosphere can pose a chemical danger to employees.
Chemical risk assessments are planned on a broader scale
so that we can gain a better understanding of these emissions
and take corrective action to reduce them. In the Innovative
Materials Sector – High-Performance Materials and at Lapeyre
production plants, these analyses have already led us to develop
a variety of new solutions. The Pipe Division has fine-tuned
its applications for solvent-free coatings, such as epoxy
powder for pipe fittings, cataphoresis for pipe connectors and,
for municipal castings, autophoretic coating, a process
developed in 2004 and adopted for use in 2007.
Where there is no alternative to solvent-based paints,
as is the case for pipes in particular, special equipment is used
to capture and treat VOCs via oxidation on the production line.
Dust
We take vigorous steps to control dust emissions,
as required by the IPPC directive. We have invested extensively
in electrostatic precipitators and bag filters, depending
on the type of furnace. In addition, particulates from
the filtration process are increasingly being recycled at each
site or recovered through appropriate channels (see below).
The Innovative Materials Sector - Flat Glass has adopted
a range of measures to manage atmospheric emissions
from its furnaces. Electrostatic precipitators have now been
in use for a full year at plants in Auvelais, Belgium
and Chantereine and Aniche, France. The Packaging Sector is
in the final stages of installing these precipitators at each
of its European sites; the impact on dust reduction will be
measured during 2009. Over time, dust filtration systems
will be installed at all of the Sector’s facilities worldwide.
In 2008, glass furnaces and glass production lines
at concerned sites discharged an average of 0.36 kg
of particulates per ton of glass produced.
The Pipe Division distinguishes between ducted dust
and diffuse dust. For many years, Saint-Gobain plants have
been capturing and treating the large volume of ducted
dust they generate, drawing on advances in available
technology to make ongoing improvements to their filtration
systems. In 2008 the Pipe Division’s concerned sites generated
1.03 kg of ducted dust per ton of finished cast iron produced
following treatment. Diffuse dust emissions are less
substantial but difficult to capture and treat.
Diffuse dust is found only in metal melting areas
and consists primarily of mineral substances. There is no
standard methodology for quantifying diffuse dust emissions.
Nonetheless, the Pipe Division began taking action in 2004
to improve the recovery and treatment of diffuse dust.
Other regulated substances generated by Saint-Gobain sites,
primarily in the Packaging Sector and Pipe Division,
are closely monitored. They include heavy metals resulting
Saint-Gobain - 2008 Annual Report