Evonik – Optimizing Shipping to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Evonik Corporation’s Mobile, Ala., site, located in Theodore Industrial Park in South Mobile (AL) County and employing over 850 people, manufacturers specialty chemicals for a variety of products including fumed silicas used for increasing the temperature stability of lipsticks, compounds used in the production of transparent plastics, lightweight foams used for aircraft engineering, and alkoxides, which are used as catalysts in biodiesel production. 

The site currently requires 40-50 barges per year to be delivered to support production. Only 90% of a barge’s capacity can be offloaded due to the limited storage capacity onsite. The site utilities unit invested in and installed an additional caustic storage tank that will allow for the delivery of a full barge. This increase in caustic storage would allow for a reduction of 4-5 barges per year (~10% reduction in deliveries.) 

The decrease in barge deliveries would reduce the carbon footprint (approximately 12 metric tons CO2/barge) of nearly 50 metric tons/yr. of CO2. This is based on 576 ton-miles/gal and 22.4lb/gal diesel.

Evonik continues to reduce its carbon footprint by finding solutions that optimize our processes along the entire value chain. Key elements are the integration of sustainability into strategic management processes, a carbon price for all investments, and ambitious targets for reducing CO2 emissions and introducing global water management.