Posey County Employer Plans Upgrades
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowSABIC's Innovative Plastics division is planning two major investments at its Mount Vernon facility. The company says a co-generation plant should help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. SABIC is also planning new technology to streamline the chemical production process. The projects are expected to create between 150 and 200 temporary construction jobs. December 3, 2013
News Release
MOUNT VERNON, Ind. – SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business today announced two major investments at its largest U.S. facility aimed at further increasing the business’ global competitiveness and sustainability by enhancing the reliability and efficiency of production. These investments at the Mount Vernon, Indiana site will benefit the business’ customers through efficient and reliable production, and the local community with the anticipated creation of between 150 and 200 temporary construction jobs over two and a half years.
The first investment involves the production of a state-of-the-art cogeneration (CoGen) plant that will use natural gas to create a majority of the steam for the site. Currently, coal boilers power 40 percent of the site’s steam. The EPA recently issued new Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) Standards for industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers. Innovative Plastics is building a CoGen plant that addresses the EPA standards and offers an economical and sustainable solution by leveraging the long-term supply of natural gas.
The CoGen plant is expected to reduce the Mount Vernon facility’s greenhouse gas intensity, which includes GHG from the site and from electricity used from the regional grid, by 35 – 40 percent compared to a 2010 baseline. The GHG intensity savings are equivalent to removing more than 110,000 passenger vehicles from the road annually. In addition, the CoGen plant is expected to enhance the plant’s energy efficiency, helping reduce costs over the long-term.
The second investment, which is designed to streamline the efficiency of the chemical production process, will reduce energy intensity, and promotes safety and sustainability. The new technology is expected to operate 20-30 percent more efficiently than the current technology, using less steam and electricity, further increasing the Mount Vernon site’s competitive position. Additionally, this significant investment will enable the site to reduce its GHG intensity. The new technology is expected to be completed in 2015 and, compared to a 2010 baseline, is expected to reduce GHG intensity equivalent to removing nearly 3,000 passenger vehicles from the road annually.
“In a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive global market, our business strives to be innovative, efficient, and sustainable in everything that we do. We place a substantial amount of time and resources into creating world-class manufacturing operations that use state-of-the-art technology to deliver on our customer commitments. SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business continuously adapts and improves our business processes, and makes appropriate investments to ensure competitiveness over the long-term,” said Mike Walsh vice president of manufacturing for SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business. “These investments demonstrate the business’ commitment to being the preferred supplier of engineering thermoplastics, while continuing to pursue its ambitious sustainability objectives.”
The Mount Vernon site is SABIC’s largest U.S. manufacturing facility employing approximately 1,200 employees. The site began operations in 1960 producing one product – LEXAN™ resin. Continued investments in the Mount Vernon site over the years have turned the site into a best-in-class SABIC facility with expanded manufacturing capabilities to produce core and speciality products.
“The Innovative Plastics business is committed to investing in its operations at the Mount Vernon site which benefits customers and the local community. The investments we’re announcing today are the largest in the Mount Vernon facility in 30 years, and are in-line with our commitment as a business to serving our customers, and supporting the communities where we operate. Significant investments like these position the site for continued growth and competitiveness,” said Joe Castrale, Mount Vernon plant manager for SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business.
Next Steps
Detailed design, construction, and environmental plans for both investments are being created. The business will then work with local, state and federal officials to obtain the appropriate regulatory approvals in order to begin construction.About SABIC
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world’s top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world’s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.
SABIC recorded a net profit of SR 24.72 billion (US$ 6.59 billion) in 2012. Sales revenues for 2012 totalled SR 189 billion (US$ 50.40 billion). Total assets stood at SR 338 billion (US$ 90.13 billion) at the end of 2012.
SABIC’s businesses are grouped into Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. SABIC has significant research resources with 17 dedicated Technology & Innovation facilities in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, India, China and South Korea. The company operates in more than 40 countries across the world with around 40,000 employees worldwide.
SABIC manufactures on a global scale in Saudi Arabia, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Headquartered in Riyadh, SABIC was founded in 1976 when the Saudi Arabian Government decided to use the hydrocarbon gases associated with its oil production as the principal feedstock for production of chemicals, polymers and fertilizers. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 70 percent of SABIC shares with the remaining 30 percent held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
About Innovative Plastics
SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business is a leading, global supplier of engineering thermoplastics with an 80-year history of breakthrough solutions that solve its customers’ most pressing challenges. Today, Innovative Plastics is a multi-billion-dollar company with operations in more than 35 countries and approximately 9,000 employees worldwide. The company continues to lead the plastics industry with customer collaboration and continued investments in new polymer technologies, global application development, process technologies, and environmentally responsible solutions that serve diverse markets such as Healthcare, Transportation, Automotive, Electrical, Lighting and Consumer Electronics. The company’s extensive product portfolio includes thermoplastic resins, coatings, specialty compounds, film, and sheet. Innovative Plastics (www.sabic-ip.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).
Source: SABIC Innovative Plastics