CalPortland’s Rillito plant earns EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification

“CalPortland is pleased to accept EPA’s ENERGY STAR 2020 certification in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts at the Rillito plant,” said Allen Hamblen, President/CEO CalPortland. “We continue to demonstrate our commitment to environmental stewardship and ENERGY STAR while also reducing our energy costs through the hard work of our employees and our corporate energy management culture.”

Earning ENERGY STAR certification highlights CalPortland’s status of operating within the highest level of performance of the top 25% of cement plants in the nation with regards to energy performance. The company has improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organisation and by making cost-effective improvements to its plant.

“Commercial buildings and industrial plants account for nearly half of the nation’s energy”, said Jean Lupinacci, Chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch. “But through benchmarking performance and a strategic approach to energy management, it is possible for companies to save energy, save money, and protect the environment.”

CalPortland is receiving this ENERGY STAR certification in recognition of its commitment to high-level leadership in energy management throughout the company as well as demonstrating efficiency at the Rillito, AZ facility. Some of the key accomplishments for certification included:

• Replacing two preheater tower cyclones with a new CalPortland design that improved heat exchange and efficiency and is expected to save over US$800 000/year.
• Installing a new high efficiency belting for a 3.5-mile quarry belt conveyor (7 miles of belting).
• Replacing the kiln baghouse process fan and all dust collector bags in that baghouse which lowered differential pressure and substantially improved energy efficiency.
• Increasing the plant’s focus on energy efficiency by expanding its energy team, conducting more frequent energy meetings and communicating energy efficiency best practices throughout the plant.

This distinct plant recognition is distinguishable from the 2020 EPA ENERGY STAR^® PARTNER OF THE YEAR (POY) for Sustained Excellence award received by the company earlier in 2020. The company has received the POY award for sixteen consecutive years (2005 – 2020) which is a feat that is unmatched by any other industrial company in the United States.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. To date, tens of thousands of buildings and plants across all fifty states have earned the ENERGY STAR.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/14012021/calportlands-rillito-plant-earns-epas-energy-star-certification/