Titan America’s Roanoke Cement in Virginia has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification for a tenth consecutive year, while sister Pennsuco operation in Florida marks nine years of certification. To qualify for Energy Star, plants must perform in the top 25 percent of cement mills nationwide for total energy efficiency (thermal and electrical) and meet strict EPA performance levels.
Titan America has implemented a series of processes enabling employees to maintain and improve energy performance across the enterprise. The Titan Energy Management System (EnMS), operating at the company’s three largest facilities—Roanoke Cement and the Pennsuco mill plus companion aggregate operation in Medley, Fla.—positions employees to systematically manage total consumption of all energy sources. EnMS addresses the energy performance standard ISO 50001; ensures that the company’s business operations are as efficient as possible; increases plant reliability; and, supports Titan America’s operational goals.
“We are passionate about continuously developing efficient, sustainable operating practices,” says Titan America CEO Bill Zarkalis. “[The] EnMS program is an excellent example of innovation and of our commitment to make business operations more efficient, while contributing as much as we can to make the locations in which we operate better places to live and work.”
“We consider [the Energy Star] milestone to be a catalyst for reinvigorating our teams and increasing our efforts,” adds Titan America Senior Vice President, Cement Operations and Corporate Engineering George Pantazopoulos. “We have no doubt that we can gain further efficiencies in our manufacturing processes using the EnMS program.”
Roanoke Cement has applied electricity management best practices during the previous 18 months and delivered an 11 percent reduction in electricity consumed per ton of cement produced. Additionally, the company has partnered with electrical utilities to reduce their contribution to peaks on the power grid due through demand management and response. These efforts ensure that utilities’ inefficient peak generators can remain offline during times when homeowners and businesses place a large demand on the electrical grid.
“The EnMS program is scheduled to be fully operational by 3Q 2017,” notes Titan America Corporate Energy Manager Chris Bayne, who directs the EnMS program. “We organized teams to oversee the program at our three main facilities.” They will routinely incorporate energy management practices into daily operations, he adds, mindful of Titan America’s year-over-year goal of reducing total energy consumption 3 percent.