Energy

The traditional steam surplus on our Ostend site will be used in the new biodiesel unit. This will obviously benefit the overall energy balance of the company. Our CO2 emissions per tonne end product keep decreasing too as we turn the heat released in our phthalic anhydride unit into steam, thus cutting down necessary “extra” steam production.

Waste

Where an omelette is made, eggshells are left. It is no different for a production site. Proviron has its own processing unit for waste from several production units. Other waste products are processed externally. The sum of both quantities decreases annually in spite of increasing production volumes. Relative waste flow figures, which are expressed in kilograms waste per tonne end product, have been going down in an almost straight line for years. Spectacular progress is showing in our waste water flow. This flow, which in our Ostend site we have had treated in the local water treatment unit, has decreased by over 60 % in 6 years (expressed in technical units COD per tonne). This is owing to several technical improvements in our production units.

Soil remediation

We have been tackling for quite some time the historic contamination on some plots of land. These activities went on as planned during 2006. Through a system of subterranean pipes, we have been draining a number of volatile and less volatile substances, which we subsequently treated successfully.

Permits

We are preparing a new and harmonised environmental permit request, covering the whole of our Ostend site. This is becoming urgent because of the diversity of types and age of a number of installations, resulting in a very varied range of permits. In 2007, we will draft quite a number of official reports.