Degussa is New Zealand's only producer of hydrogen peroxide, a chemical used for bleaching processes in the pulp, paper and textile industries, and in wastewater treatment and disinfection applications. The company's operational performance has been enhanced with small but regular improvements over the years; but in 2000 Degussa embarked on a major re-engineering programme in response to an energy audit that identified 12 opportunities for reducing energy and/or C02 production. The project focused on two goals: increasing the strength of crude hydrogen peroxide (R202) produced, and utilising excess energy from the boiler's feed-water. Two years later, the results have proved spectacular: an overall energy-use reduction of 9.1 per cent, and a fall in CO{sub}2 emissions of more than 10 per cent. This improvement in performance earned the company the Industry New Zealand Manufacturing Award at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority's annual awards presentation late last year.
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