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| This category recognises outstanding water savings achieved in production processes and systems. It targets demonstrated innovation and achievement in the reduction of water used in areas including plant operations, behavioural practices, offices and production processes. |
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Qenos continues to improve water efficient practices at its Altona-based plants, saving 1.2 billion litres of water per year compared to 2002 consumption. During 2005/2006, it saved a further 730ML – or 292 Olympic sized swimming pools* – by upgrading three significant processes.
Qenos is Australia’s sole manufacturer of polyethylene resin, used to make plastic products ranging from moulded water tanks to shampoo bottles.
It firstly replaced an undersized effluent cooling heat exchanger, eliminating the need for freshwater in cooling the Olefins site’s effluent stream to meet trade waste temperature requirements.
The effluent stream from the Resins site was redirected to a wastewater treatment plant on the Plastics site (it was previously discharged into the sewer) where it is now treated and reused as cooling tower make-up – replacing over 90ML of potable water per year.
Lastly, production at its Olefins SCAL-1 plant was converted from gas-oil to crack ethane and LPG, requiring less energy, steam and cooling water to generate a similar quantity of ethylene. This cleaner production resulted in the closure of two downstream plants that used potable water. |
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Godfrey Hirst Australia, Geelong |
Carpet manufacturing plant Godfrey Hirst Australia and its woollen yarn manufacturing mill, Barwon Spinners Dye House, have saved 95ML of water – or 38 Olympic sized swimming pools* - during financial year 2005/2006 by modifying plant procedures.
These savings are on top of the 85ML annually conserved through the plant’s vacuum pump recycling system, which earned Godfrey Hirst the award for excellence at the 2005 savewater! awards®.
Subsequent improvements at its carpet manufacturing plant resulted in a state-of-the-art Continuous Dying Process, which included modifications to enable in-line drying - eliminating an entire washing and vacuuming stage.
It has also reduced water use by modifying the fluoro chemical application process and investing in the production of solution dyed nylon products that do not require dyeing or drying.
Process enhancements at the Barwon Spinners Dye House plant enable recycled water from wool compacting and vat cooling to be separated from effluent streams, filtered, treated and stored for subsequent reuse as dye liquor.
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* Calculations based on FINA-standard Olympic-sized swimming pool at 2.5ML.
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