Protecting the environment is part of all our daily activities. We are fully aware of our responsibility towards our surroundings and its inhabitants, towards the nature and landscape around us and towards the climate.
We minimize the negative impact of our activities and reduce our carbon footprint in a controlled manner to preserve high-quality environment and natural resources for future generations. We implement the latest technologies and practices that are friendly to nature and people. We use renewable raw materials and resources and strive for energy efficiency. We carry out thorough monitoring of emissions, wastewater and waste. We separate waste to the maximum extent possible, including electrical equipment in production, warehouses and offices.
Our environmental activities are part of the Green SPOLECHEMIE concept.
We introduce the latest technologies and procedures that are friendly to nature and people. Over the last 15 years, we have invested more than CZK 5 billion in new technologies that are BAT (Best Available Techniques), which means that currently more than 90% of our production is carried out using equipment and technologies put into operation after 2000. These state-of-the-art production technologies meet modern high standards in terms of environmental protection, raw material and energy consumption and operational safety.
Simply put: they help us produce efficiently, sustainably and safely.
From 2004 to 2021, we have reduced our specific energy consumption by 40%. Starting in the second half of 2021, we will purchase only emission-free electricity from Czech nuclear power plants from ČEZ ESCO. With a consumption of about 280 GWh per year, we will save about 480,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2023.
From 2004 to 2021, we have reduced our specific energy consumption by 40%. Starting in the second half of 2021, we will purchase only emission-free electricity from Czech nuclear power plants from ČEZ ESCO. With a consumption of about 280 GWh per year, we will save about 480,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2023.
Hydrogen is produced as a by-product of our electrolytic production. We are currently collaborating on several projects to use it to power vehicles. We are working with the Ústí nad Labem Transport Company to build a hydrogen refuelling station for the purpose of urban hydrogen buses on the edge of our premises. We are also cooperating with ARRIVA CZ and ČEPRO on a project of hydrogen trains that could replace diesel locomotives on non-electrified lines in the region in the future.
Thanks to the introduction of new technologies and the shutdown or modernisation of obsolete production facilities, we have managed to reduce air emissions by more than 57% since 2010. Compared to the year 2000, this reduction is greater than 90%.
We regularly evaluate the environmental impact of our key products using the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). We conducted our first LCA in 2010 to compare the impacts for our two products, epichlorohydrin and low molecular weight resin, when made from two different sources - a limited fossil source (propylene) and a renewable source (glycerine). We were able to show that the impacts of producing epichlorohydrin from glycerine and the resin produced from it are significantly lower than those of producing it from propylene. Analyses for low molecular weight resins were repeated regularly. We also continue to develop and innovate other products where possible to reduce their environmental impact.
In the period 2021-22, we will conduct LCAs for the entire company and all major manufacturing units as well as products. This will allow us to better target our activities in the future to reduce our carbon footprint.
As one of the first Czech chemical companies, we committed to the principles of the global voluntary initiative Responsible Care - as early as 1994.
We are also involved in the EcoVadis corporate sustainability rating system.
Our core values, objectives and practices are defined in the Environmental Policy and our results are summarised annually in the Environmental Report (Czech only).
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