Braskem S A : advances in energy efficiency initiatives

Striving to become a carbon neutral company by 2050, Braskem defined a series of energy efficiency initiatives in its operations that consequently reduce carbon emissions and improve competitiveness. In one year, the projects put into practice at the Q1 Unit located in the Camaçari Industrial Complex in Bahia state, which is one of Braskem's main units in Brazil, reduced energy consumption by 833 GWh. The reduction is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of the state of Roraima, with a population of nearly 600,000, and consequently reduced 247,000 tons of CO₂ in the period, which accounts for 8% of the complex's annual emissions.

'One of the pillars of Braskem's sustainable energy strategy is optimizing the energy consumption of its operations through operating efficiency initiatives combined with the growing use of renewable sources at its headquarters, which reinforces its role as a national reference in sustainability and contributes to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Note that energy efficiency plays a key role in reducing carbon emissions and in turn supports our commitment to decarbonization by 2050,' explained Gustavo Checcucci, Energy Director at Braskem.

One of the key factors in making these results possible is the relentless search for improvement opportunities, such as benchmarking with peers and participating in global events with technology holders and in national and international forums. In addition, Braskem has been forming partnerships with institutions to train teams and encourage the generation of ideas by its own team members.

'At Braskem, the goal of sustainable development is incorporated into our business, and we are always prioritizing operating efficiency gains. We believe in continually improving our processes to make them more efficient, especially by reducing energy consumption,' added Aloísio Azevedo, Process Engineering Manager at Braskem.

More than ten initiatives have been implemented at the Camaçari Unit that combined already have reduced energy consumption by 5.5%. The energy efficiency gains should be leveraged by the implementation of similar initiatives at the company's other units in the states of São Paulo (ABC Region, Cubatão and Paulínia), Rio Grande do Sul (Triunfo), Rio de Janeiro (Duque de Caxias) and Alagoas (Maceió).

Among the projects, a highlight is Multivariate Process Analysis (ProMV), which was developed with the support of Braskem's Digital Center, which is dedicated to accelerating the company's digital transformation with a focus on implementing analysis tools, automation, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT). Using mathematical and statistic models and real-time simulations, the project optimizes the energy consumed by the pyrolysis furnaces, which are critical to the operation of petrochemical plants and account for the highest energy demand.

Another important initiative was the electrification of equipment to balance the energy matrix of the industrial unit. In practice, the drive of turbine equipment, such as pumps and compressors, was replaced by highly efficient electrical engines, which results in gains in competitiveness and sustainability. The electrification of critical equipment represents a break in the paradigm of the chemical and petrochemical industry, while strengthening one of the main pillars of global decarbonization. The other projects involve modernizing the technology of equipment on the production line, which is primarily carried out during scheduled maintenances.

Commitment to the carbon neutral circular economy

In November 2020, Braskem announced an expansion in its efforts to become a carbon neutral company by 2050. To achieve this target, the company's strategy includes initiatives for carbon reduction, offsetting and capture, expansion of the I'm greenT portfolio, which comprises products focusing on the circular economy, as well as engagement over the next ten years to reach the proper disposal of 1.5 million tons of plastic waste. The company, which has been committed to sustainability since its creation, in 2002, and is a pioneer in the production of biopolymers, effectively undertakes co-responsibility for the challenge of preventing and combating climate change.

Braskem's initiatives for the coming decades are aligned with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations (UN), its 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement to control impacts from climate change. Learn about Braskem's manifesto at www.braskem.com.br/macroobjetivos .

Striving to become a carbon neutral company by 2050, Braskem defined a series of energy efficiency initiatives in its operations that consequently reduce carbon emissions and improve competitiveness. In one year, the projects put into practice at the Q1 Unit located in the Camaçari Industrial Complex in Bahia state, which is one of Braskem's main units in Brazil, reduced energy consumption by 833 GWh. The reduction is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of the state of Roraima, with a population of nearly 600,000, and consequently reduced 247,000 tons of CO₂ in the period, which accounts for 8% of the complex's annual emissions.

'One of the pillars of Braskem's sustainable energy strategy is optimizing the energy consumption of its operations through operating efficiency initiatives combined with the growing use of renewable sources at its headquarters, which reinforces its role as a national reference in sustainability and contributes to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Note that energy efficiency plays a key role in reducing carbon emissions and in turn supports our commitment to decarbonization by 2050,' explained Gustavo Checcucci, Energy Director at Braskem.

One of the key factors in making these results possible is the relentless search for improvement opportunities, such as benchmarking with peers and participating in global events with technology holders and in national and international forums. In addition, Braskem has been forming partnerships with institutions to train teams and encourage the generation of ideas by its own team members.

'At Braskem, the goal of sustainable development is incorporated into our business, and we are always prioritizing operating efficiency gains. We believe in continually improving our processes to make them more efficient, especially by reducing energy consumption,' added Aloísio Azevedo, Process Engineering Manager at Braskem.

More than ten initiatives have been implemented at the Camaçari Unit that combined already have reduced energy consumption by 5.5%. The energy efficiency gains should be leveraged by the implementation of similar initiatives at the company's other units in the states of São Paulo (ABC Region, Cubatão and Paulínia), Rio Grande do Sul (Triunfo), Rio de Janeiro (Duque de Caxias) and Alagoas (Maceió).

Among the projects, a highlight is Multivariate Process Analysis (ProMV), which was developed with the support of Braskem's Digital Center, which is dedicated to accelerating the company's digital transformation with a focus on implementing analysis tools, automation, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT). Using mathematical and statistic models and real-time simulations, the project optimizes the energy consumed by the pyrolysis furnaces, which are critical to the operation of petrochemical plants and account for the highest energy demand.

Another important initiative was the electrification of equipment to balance the energy matrix of the industrial unit. In practice, the drive of turbine equipment, such as pumps and compressors, was replaced by highly efficient electrical engines, which results in gains in competitiveness and sustainability. The electrification of critical equipment represents a break in the paradigm of the chemical and petrochemical industry, while strengthening one of the main pillars of global decarbonization. The other projects involve modernizing the technology of equipment on the production line, which is primarily carried out during scheduled maintenances.

Commitment to the carbon-neutral circular economy

In November 2020, Braskem announced an expansion in its efforts to become a carbon neutral company by 2050. To achieve this target, the company's strategy includes initiatives for carbon reduction, offsetting and capture, expansion of the I'm greenT portfolio, which comprises products focusing on the circular economy, as well as engagement over the next ten years to reach the proper disposal of 1.5 million tons of plastic waste. The company, which has been committed to sustainability since its creation, in 2002, and is a pioneer in the production of biopolymers, effectively undertakes co-responsibility for the challenge of preventing and combating climate change.

Braskem's initiatives for the coming decades are aligned with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations (UN), its 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement to control impacts from climate change. Learn about Braskem's manifesto at www.braskem.com.br/macroobjetivos .