SGL Carbon has introduced a new CO2-neutral biomass system to generate energy for the production of carbon fibres at its plant in Lavradio, Portugal.

The system replaces one based on natural gas and at full capacity will save more than 90,000 tons of CO2 annually. It is fuelled by wood pellets which are sourced from within a radius of 250 kilometres.

This complements the efficiency of the company’s other carbon fibre manufacturing plant which was specifically established in Moses Lake, Washington, back in the 1990s, to operate on hydropower. Around 75,000 tons of CO2 are saved in Moses Lake each year by purchasing electricity from hydropower plants compared to a fossil fuel-based electricity mix.

The advanced energy supplies at the two plants will combine to enable a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions for the the production of SGL’s carbon fibres compared to conventional production by the end of 2025, according to statistical data from the GaBi life cycle assessment database.

www.sglcarbon.com