Tenaris recently implemented new efficiencies in the coating booth at its state-of-the-art seamless facility in Bay City, Texas, optimizing the use of water-based varnish and further reducing the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
A key component in this initiative was the installation of a prefilter system and the improvement of a capture system in the line that processes through the facility’s thermal oxidizer, which destroys 98% of the few VOCs present through the use of high temperatures.
“Our environmental management has always been at the forefront of our plans at our Bay City mill, since we began construction in 2013,” said Carolina Bengochea, Global Tenaris Environment Director. “We are always looking for new solutions and improvements that will minimize our footprint.”
Adaptations were made to the water-based varnish application process and exhaust system in the finishing area, reducing overspray and waste. This resulted in a 42% improvement in the use of varnish coating and a reduction of 35% in varnish waste per ton. In addition, a varnish recovery process was put in place, which yields 30% of the recovered varnish for reuse.
“We made sure to align with the best available control technologies while following state and internal mandates and regulations,” Gabriela Silberman, Environmental Leader for TenarisBayCity, said. “The team’s hard work directly reflects these sustainable results, all while being a part of one of the most environmentally-efficient facilities in Tenaris.”
To read more about Tenaris’s environmental actions, please visit our 2019 Sustainability Report here.
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