Tokai Carbon CB (Fort Worth, Texas), the largest carbon black company in the US, announced today that it has reached several environmental milestones at its three US carbon black plants, which are located in Addis, Louisiana; Big Spring, Texas; and Borger, Texas. These projects are part of the company’s Consent Decree regarding NOX and SO2 emissions as negotiated with the EPA and the DOJ.
TCCB said that particulate emission detection instruments and operating procedures are in place to monitor and reduce particulate emissions at all three plants. In addition:
Big Spring has installed and is already continually operating NOX reduction equipment.
Work at Borger is in process and is scheduled to be finished by April 2021 for NOX and SO2 reductions. NOX and SO2 emissions will be dramatically reduced in Hutchinson County upon completion.
At Addis, NOX and SO2 reduction equipment will be ordered by the end of 2020 and installation is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. Completion of this project will dramatically reduce NOX and SO2 in the West Baton Rouge parish of Louisiana.
In addition, TCCB is investing $25 million to install power generating equipment for the Addis plant, which will reduce the plant’s Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. While reduction of GHG’s is not part of the consent decree, this project will have a large positive impact on the environment in the Baton Rouge area. After completion of the Addis project, TCCB will have process gas generated electricity at all three plants, exporting electricity at two facilities.
TCCB already has invested more than $50 million on environmental projects for its US plants and plans to spend another $73 million by the end of 2022 to meet its agreements. Including the cogen project at Addis, the company’s full investment related to these projects will total $148 million by the end of 2022.