Saint-Gobain to Install Heat Recovery Technology at its Gypsum Plant in Vancouver, British Columbia, Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Energy Consumption

March 22, 2022 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Saint-Gobain, through its building products subsidiary CertainTeed Canada Inc., will invest approximately $4 Million CAD to install heat recovery technology at its gypsum wallboard plant in Vancouver, reducing the plant's carbon dioxide emissions by 10% and improving the energy efficiency of the facility.

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The investment comes only months after Saint-Gobain announced its new global Grow and Impact strategy, which includes plans to reduce the company's energy consumption and emissions. CertainTeed's project in Vancouver was selected to receive a $1.4 Million CAD shared investment from the CleanBC Industry Fund program, which provides government funding for cleaner technologies that reduce emissions in industry.

Gypsum wallboard is made from a gypsum slurry that is poured and dries between two sheets of paper. During one step in this process, the wallboard passes through a large heated dryer that helps solidify the wallboard and remove moisture from the product.

In Vancouver, Saint-Gobain will install a large heat exchanger on its industrial dryer. The heat exchanger will capture and recycle some of the warm air emitted from the dryer, allowing the plant to maintain the dryer's temperature while consuming less energy and ultimately reducing the facility's carbon dioxide emissions.

Richard Juggery, CEO of CertainTeed Canada, said: "We know that part of being a good business is being a good neighbor – and we will continue to strive to lead our industry towards a more sustainable future. This project will help our company maximize our positive impact, for our customers and the communities where we do business, while minimizing our environmental footprint. We thank the CleanBC program for its support, and look forward to many more years of sustainable, state-of-the-art manufacturing in Vancouver."

CertainTeed's plant in Vancouver is the only gypsum wallboard manufacturing facility in British Columbia. The site began operations in 1975 and today is home to approximately 80 employees.

The heat recovery project in Vancouver follows several other recent actions taken by the company to solidify its commitment towards sustainability:

Earlier this month, Saint-Gobain announced that through its virtual Power Purchase Agreement with the Blooming Grove Wind Farm in McLean County, Illinois, and additional renewables contracting, the company received renewable energy certificates that effectively reduced approximately 33% of its CO2 emissions from electricity usage in 2021 in the United States and Canada.

In February, the company invested $32 Million to upgrade equipment at its insulation plant in Chowchilla, California, reducing the facility's carbon footprint by more than 4,000 metric tons per year.

In January, Saint-Gobain North America donated a zero energy ready house in Canton, Ohio, made with more than 20 of its own products, to Habitat for Humanity.

About CertainTeed

Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed, headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has helped shape the building products industry for more than 115 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan 'Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed,' inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed is a leading North American brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, solar, fence, railing, trim, insulation, drywall and ceilings. www.certainteed.com.

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group's commitment is guided by its purpose, 'MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME.'