10/19/2018 11h45

Rhodia Acetow implements electric power and steam cogeneration system in its plant in Santo André

Investment aims to reduce variable costs and bring more competitiveness to products Project relied on the support from Investe São Paulo

Investe São Paulo

The textile unit of Rhodia Acetow, located in Santo André (Metropolitan Region of São Paulo), is already operating its electric power and steam cogeneration system. The project relied on the support provided by Investe São Paulo – the investment promotion agency of the State of São Paulo, which assisted the company in tax matters and in the dialogue with the energy utility.

The R$30 million investment was made to ensure high energy efficiency and, with the implementation, the products also gain greater competitiveness to compete with manufacturers from Europe, the United States and China. The electric power and steam cogeneration system was implemented in the Fiber Complex located within the plant in Santo André, taking into account the reduction of variable costs and an increase in energy efficiency.

According to Rhodia Acetow, this reduction is a due to the combination of the boiler and gas engines. The high energy efficiency was a requirement to classify the installation with cogeneration system and, with this, the benefit of COGEN tariff for the gas. “This investment represents an important step to increase the competitiveness of the cellulose acetate plant, which is supplied for the production of filters and nonwoven fabrics,” says Dacio Almeida, Engineering and Innovation Manager of the company.

For Sérgio Costa, director of Investe São Paulo – the investment promotion agency of the state government and partner in the project, the implementation contributes “not only economically, but also points to sustainable growth, with a reduction of polluting agents during production.”

 

Fewer pollutants

The plant in Santo André mainly produces cellulose acetate – or the so-called artificial silk, used in the production of filters and nonwoven fabrics.

A combination of boiler and gas engines was the scope of the New Utilities Station of Santo André (NEUSA) for the energy cogeneration system. Gas engines produce electricity through the combustion of natural gas, a process that generates gases that are sent to the boiler to contribute to the production of steam in two ways: using only natural gas and recovering the heat from the hot gases coming from the generators, which increases the thermal efficiency to produce more steam, with less use of natural gas.

This process is “cleaner” for the environment than diesel combustion, since the combustion of natural gas results in fewer pollutants into the atmosphere.

 

About Rhodia Acetow

Rhodia Acetow was founded in 1912 in France, and its Brazilian unit in Santo André began its activities in 1937, with the production of cellulose acetate flakes, and the production of cellulose acetate multifilament began in 1962. The cellulose acetate fibers are used to produce filter and nonwoven fabrics. In 2017, the company was sold to the Blackstone group, which decided to invest in the Brazilian unit to seek international competitiveness for the products produced in the country.