Orion Engineered Carbons recently announced that cogeneration technology used to produce renewable energy has been installed at its Ivanhoe plant in Louisiana. The cogeneration system uses the waste steam from the carbon black plant’s production process and converts it to electricity. The energy can be used to power the facility as well as be exported to the local grid. The new technology will make the facility more efficient, reliable, and sustainable.

“The new technology will reduce our reliance on the grid, which should result in less downtime at the plant and more consistent production,” said CEO Corning Painter. “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.”

Another anticipated benefit of the technology is improved equipment reliability. Any power failure can shut down the plant suddenly, causing fatigue and degradation with carbon black production equipment, which requires significant cool-down and warm-up periods.

To learn more, visit orioncarbons.com.