WASHINGTON, April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the 21st Annual Responsible Care Conference and Expo this morning, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) honored 19 of its member companies for implementing energy-efficiency improvements in 2011. ACC presented a total of 67 awards to these companies, 16 of which were deemed programs of "Exceptional Merit."

The Responsible Care Energy Efficiency Awards program is among ACC's many ongoing initiatives to improve energy efficiency. In 2011, the total annual energy savings achieved by the winning projects was 16.9 trillion BTUs – enough to power all the homes in a city the size of Norfolk, Virginia for one year.

"Chemistry is creating solutions that empower Americans to improve energy efficiency, making our nation's energy supplies go further while lowering energy costs for businesses and families," said ACC President and CEO Cal Dooley.  "Nearly every energy-saving technology depends on innovations in chemistry. At the same time, we are enhancing energy savings in our own operations.  The U.S. chemical industry as a whole has improved its energy efficiency by 56 percent since 1974 and 33 percent since 1990."

The 2012 Energy Efficiency Award winners were selected from five categories:

The "Energy Efficiency Program" award is given to companies with broad programs to achieve energy-efficiency improvements, with components such as establishing energy teams, goal setting, communications, management support, and recognition.

The "Significant Improvement in Manufacturing" award is given to companies that improve energy efficiency in their manufacturing operations through technical innovations, creative projects, or novel procedures or actions.

The "Environmental Impact" award is given for initiatives with substantial environmental benefits, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to improvements in energy efficiency.

The "Non-Manufacturing Improvement" award is given for improvements resulting from energy-efficient lighting, insulation, and other building improvements, and other non-manufacturing energy improvements.

The "Public Outreach" award is given for an effective program of involvement with the community regarding energy efficiency and related environmental impact activities.

Individual ACC member companies nominate specific projects for recognition under the award program. The judging committee that determined the winners is comprised of selected members of ACC's Energy Team. The judging committee was joined by James Eggebrecht, professor of engineering and director of the Energy Systems Laboratory and Texas A&M University, and additional experts in the field of energy efficiency.

The companies receiving awards for 2012 are:

• Afton Chemical Corporation
• Albemarle Corporation
• BASF Corporation
• Carus Corporation
• Chemtura
• Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
• The Dow Chemical Company
• Dow Corning Corporation
• DuPont
• Eastman Chemical Company
• Ecolab Inc.
• El Dorado Nitrogen, LP
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company
• LyondellBasell Industries N.V.
• Northern Tier Energy – St. Paul Park Refining Co. LLC
• Occidental Chemical Corporation
• Procter & Gamble, Chemicals Division
• SABIC Innovative Plastics
• W.R. Grace & Co.

Award winners were announced and recognized at the opening of the 2012 Responsible Care Conference and Expo in Hollywood, Florida. The conference continues through Wednesday, May 2. (For more information about the conference, please visit http://www.rcconference.org).

Following is a list of the 67 awards given. An asterisk (*) denotes an "Exceptional Merit" award designation.

Energy Efficiency Program – Corporate/Business Unit

• BASF Corporation, for Corporate Energy Management Process*
• DuPont, for DC&F Energy Reduction Initiative*
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, for Global Energy Management System*
• LyondellBasell Industries N.V., for U.S. Chemicals Savings Projects*
• Eastman Chemical Company, for Eastman Energy Star® Program*

Energy Efficiency Program – Plant Site

• Carus Corporation, LaSalle Manufacturing Plant, for Continuing "Save Energy Now"*
• Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, Cedar Bayou Plant Site, for Site Energy Improvement Effort for an Olefins Plant*
• The Dow Chemical Company, Ringwood, Ill. Plant Site, for Dow Ringwood Site Cuts Energy Consumption by 56,000 MMBTU/year
• Ecolab Inc, Chicago, Ill. Clearing Plant Site, for CMV*
• Ecolab Inc., Nalco Ellwood City Plant Site, for Electricity Usage Reduction at Nalco Ellwood City Plant
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Beaumont, Texas Plant Site, for Steam System Engineering Survey*
• W.R. Grace & Co., Lake Charles, La. Operating Unit, for Reduction of Steam and Natural Gas Usage in Process Heating

Significant Improvement in Manufacturing – Operating Unit

• BASF Corporation, Geismar, La. Plant Site, for EO Plant Vent Gas Study
• BASF Corporation, Jackson, Miss. Plant Site, for Jackson Flash Dryer Heat Recovery
• BASF Corporation, McIntosh Plant Site, for McIntosh Production Schedule Optimization
• The Dow Chemical Company, Freeport, Texas Plant Site, for New Tubular LDPE Reactor Design Reduces Process Energy Intensity by 11%*
• The Dow Chemical Company, Texas City, Texas Plant Site, for Vinyl Acetate Plant Optimizes Flare Fuel Gas
• Eastman Chemical Company, for Significant Improvement in Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing: Furnace Improvement
• Eastman Chemical Company, for Energy Minimization in Acetic Acid Refining
• Eastman Chemical Company, Specialty Ketones Manufacturing Site, for Distillation Column Removal
• Eastman Chemical Company, for Treated Water Temperature Optimization
• Eastman Chemical Company, for Feed Condenser
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Baton Rouge, La. Plant Site, for Furnace Energy and Environmental Strategy*
• Exxon Mobil Chemical Company, Baton Rouge, La. Plant Site, for Vistalon EPDM Maximum Feed Chilling
• Exxon Mobil Chemical Company, Baton Rouge, La. Plant Site, for Higher Olefins Recovery Towers DMC
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Cantonment, Fla. Plant Site, for Extruder Heating Optimization

Significant Improvement in Manufacturing – Plant Site

• Afton Chemical Corporation, Port Arthur, Texas, for Energy Consumption Reduction
• Albemarle Corporation, Pasadena, Texas Plant Site, for Pasadena 45lb Header
• Albemarle Corporation, Pasadena, Texas Plant Site, for Pasadena PDC Steam
• BASF Corporation, Geismar, La. MDI Plant Site, for Steam Pressure Optimization
• BASF Corporation, Port Arthur, Texas Plant Site, for Fuel System Optimization
• The Dow Chemical Company, Texas City, Texas Plant Site, for Hydrogen Enrichment of a Low BTU Flare Stream Reduces Energy Intensity by 60%
• DuPont, Memphis, Tenn. Plant Site, for DC&F Byproduct Gas Displaces Natural Gas*
• Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, Tenn. Plant Site, for Air Leak Survey
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Baton Rouge, La. Plant Site, for Separation Column Energy Optimization
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Baton Rouge, La. Plant Site, for Site Fuel, Steam and Flare System Optimization
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Baytown, Texas Plant Site, for Heat Exchanger Network Tools, Optimization and Maintenance*
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Baytown, Texas Plant Site, for Data Visualization Energy Monitoring
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Baytown, Texas Plant Site, for Insulation Program
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Beaumont, Texas Plant Site, for Steam Coordination and Optimization Team (SCOT)
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Beaumont, Texas Plant Site, for Steamcracker Decoke Improvement
• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Beaumont, Texas Plant Site, for Steam Balance DMC
• Occidental Chemical Company, Ludington, Mich. Plant Site, for Calcium Chloride Manufacturing – Improved Energy Efficiency and Yield*
• SABIC Innovative Plastics, Bay St. Louis Plant Site, for Plant Lighting, Solar-Generated Electricity and Process Chiller
• SABIC Innovative Plastics, Mt. Vernon, Ind. Plant Site, for Reduced BPA Unit's Steam Demand
• SABIC Innovative Plastics, Washington, W.Va. Plant Site, for Reduction of 2,930,000 lbs./year of CO2 to the Atmosphere

Significant Improvement in Manufacturing – Project

• Eastman Chemical Company, for Crossover Shaker
• Dow Corning Corporation, Midland, Mich. Plant Site, for Grab Efficiency with Expansions – Midland's Dowtherm Heater Replacement
• Northern Tier Energy – St. Paul Park Refining Co. LLC, St. Paul Refinery, for Boiler Installations
• Occidental Chemical Company, Wichita, Kan. Plant Site, for Power Savings Using Re-Meshed Anodes
• Procter & Gamble, Chemicals Division, Cincinnati, Ohio Plant Site, for Cincinnati Waste Heat Boiler
• SABIC Innovative Plastics, Burkville, Ala. Plant Site, for Burkville Energy Initiative
• SABIC Innovative Plastics, Mt. Vernon, Ind. Plant Site, for LEXAN Resin Unit Upgrade

Environmental Impact – Corporate/Business Unit

• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Polyolefins Business, for Sustainable Advances in Polyethylene Films

Environmental Impact – Operating Unit

• The Dow Chemical Company, Hahnville, La. Plant Site, for Olefins Improves Energy Efficiency of Flaring Operation by 45%*

Environmental Impact – Plant Site

• Albemarle Corporation, Pasadena, Texas Plant Site, for Pasadena HB2 Flare
• El Dorado Nitrogen, LP, for Secondary Catalyst to Convert N₂O into Harmless Nitrogen Gas
• SABIC Innovative Plastics, Mt. Vernon, Ind. Plant Site, for Process to Recover and Purify Sodium Nitrate*
• W.R. Grace & Co., for Water Treatment

Environmental Impact – Project

• Occidental Chemical Company, Deer Park, Texas Plant Site, for Reduction of Thermal Losses in PVC Manufacture

Non-Manufacturing Improvement – Corporate/Business Unit

• SABIC Innovative Plastics, Pittsfield, Mass. Headquarters, for Headquarters Renovation
• W.R. Grace & Co., Columbia, Md. Corporate Headquarters, for Headquarters Reduces Energy Use

Non-Manufacturing Improvement – Plant Site

• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Mont Belvieu Plastics Plant Site, for Loading Area Lighting Improvements
• Dow Corning Corporation, Copley, Ohio Plant Site, for Relamping is a Bright Idea: Lighting for Copley, Ohio Plant

Non-Manufacturing Improvement – Project

• Chemtura, Naugatuck, Conn., for Laboratory Relocation

Public Outreach – Plant Site

• DuPont, Fayetteville, N.C. Plant Site, for Fayetteville Works' Boilers Conversion to Natural Gas

Public Outreach – Project

• Albemarle Corporation, South Haven, Mich. Plant Site, for Albemarle's South Haven, MI Facility Participates in "Energy Smart Program"

http://www.americanchemistry.com

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry. ACC members apply the science of chemistry to make innovative products and services that make people's lives better, healthier and safer. ACC is committed to improved environmental, health and safety performance through Responsible Care®, common sense advocacy designed to address major public policy issues, and health and environmental research and product testing. The business of chemistry is a $720 billion enterprise and a key element of the nation's economy. It is one of the nation's largest exporters, accounting for ten cents out of every dollar in U.S. exports. Chemistry companies are among the largest investors in research and development. Safety and security have always been primary concerns of ACC members, and they have intensified their efforts, working closely with government agencies to improve security and to defend against any threat to the nation's critical infrastructure.

SOURCE American Chemistry Council