Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Industrial  -  February 23, 2024

Saint-Gobain Lowers Emissions With Heat Recovery System

Saint-Gobain, through its building products subsidiary CertainTeed Canada Inc., finished the installation of a heat exchanger system on its industrial drywall board dryer at its gypsum facility outside Vancouver, British Columbia.

The installation is predicted to lower the plant’s Scope 1 carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 15% and signifies an investment towards increased efficiency, output and recycling.

Saint-Gobain continues to execute on its environmental sustainability goals such as reducing the company’s consumption of energy and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. CertainTeed’s project in Vancouver, a nearly $7 million CAD investment, was chosen to receive $2.9 million CAD in grants, including a $1.4 million CAD from the CleanBC Industry Fund program, part of the Province of British Columbia’s CleanBC Program for Industry, and a $1.5 million CAD from FortisBC Energy Inc.’s (FortisBC) Custom Efficiency Program.

Gypsum wallboard is made from a gypsum slurry that is poured and dries between two sheets of paper. During one step in this process, the wallboard passes through a large, heated dryer that helps solidify the wallboard and remove moisture from the product.

In Vancouver, a heat exchanger will now capture and recycle some of the waste heat emitted from the dryer, allowing the plant to maintain the dryer’s temperature while consuming less energy and ultimately reducing the facility’s carbon dioxide emissions.

“As the leader in light and sustainable construction in Canada, we must take every step available to minimize the carbon footprint of our production process, and our new heat exchanger system in Vancouver is the perfect example of that work in action,” said Julie Bonamy Racine, CEO of CertainTeed Canada, in a statement. “This project showcases how government and private industry can work together to make a real difference toward our sustainability goals, and I thank the Province of British Columbia and FortisBC for their support.”

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