Louisiana Chemicals plant installs Cogeneration power converting excess steam into Electricity

Specialty chemicals firm Orion Engineered Carbons has installed cogeneration technology at its production facility in Ivanhoe, Louisiana.

According to the company, the new system generates renewable energy by converting waste steam from the plant’s carbon black production process into electricity through a steam turbine generator.

The additional energy produced can be used to power the facility and even exported to the local grid. The new technology will make the facility more sustainable, efficient and reliable, Orion says.

Additionally, the cogeneration system is expected to improve the reliability of equipment, preventing sudden plant shutdowns that can cause fatigue and degradation to carbon black production equipment.

“The new technology will reduce our reliance on the grid, which should result in less downtime at the plant and more consistent production,” said Corning Painter, CEO of Orion. “This is especially important in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S., where severe weather can pose a threat to the power supply. With this cogeneration system, we expect to be better able to continue safely operating and producing the products our customers need.”

Orion has installed similar cogeneration technology in several of its plants worldwide. This marks the second significant upgrade at the Ivanhoe plant in three years, following the installation of air emissions control technology in late 2021, which converts pollutants to sulfuric acid for use in various products.

Orion Engineered Carbons is a global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability, and add UV protection.

The company has 15 plants worldwide.