31-05-2012

LyondellBasell earns award for energy conservation

LyondellBasell today received the 2012 Energy Award at the Industrial Energy Technology Conference (IETC) in New Orleans for energy reduction programs at its Houston refinery. 
 
"This award speaks to the combined efforts of our energy efficiency and flare optimization initiatives," said Todd Monette, site manager at LyondellBasell's Houston refinery. "By reducing our energy use we are also doing what's best for our community and the environment. Our team seized the opportunity to improve our daily operations by developing an innovative assessment model, which is differential to those currently used in the industry." 
 
IETC recognized the LyondellBasell refinery for improving the energy efficiency of its flares and for comprehensive energy efficiency programs that have reduced the site's energy usage by 12 percent since 2007. This equates to 42 trillion British thermal units (Btu's) per year in energy reduction, which is equivalent to the power needed for 8.6 million homes. Energy savings for the refinery flare optimization program alone exceeds 500 billion Btu's a year. 
 
Flaring operations were improved through the development of a model which identifies areas of opportunity to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption. LyondellBasell's Energy Management Group has used the model at 15 of the company's U.S. sites to identify annual energy savings in excess of 3 trillion Btu's, a savings equivalent to the energy used to power 14,644 homes a year. 
 
"The LyondellBasell Houston refinery is to be congratulated on an impressive program of energy conservation, and for making known the benefits of optimizing their flare operations to reduce energy usage and maintaining those best practices across their manufacturing operations," says James Eggebrecht, Executive Director of the IETC. 
 
The IETC award was the second recognition of LyondellBasell in 2012 for energy reduction achievements. The company was presented the Energy Efficiency Award of Exceptional Merit by the American Chemistry Council in April.