Topic

Air pollution prevention equipment installed at the Retenice Plant in the Czech Republic

AGC Glass Europe (AGEU), which manufactures and sells a variety of float glass, has been gradually introducing air pollution preventing equipment to its glass melting furnaces since 2004. The equipment is composed of a dust collector, a smoke ventilator, and desulfurization and denitration units. The equipment removes soot and dust, SOx, and NOx to purify the exhaust gases. Moreover, waste from this equipment is recycled into glass materials and exhaust heat is also reused by an on-site boiler. AGEU is thus implementing energy conservation measures to combat climate change in addition to restraining air pollution. To ensure the appropriate operation of the equipment and compliance with air pollution-related laws and regulations, AGEU has also introduced an ISO 17025-certified mobile analyzer. (ISO 17025 provides for the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.)

As of 2008, AGEU has introduced this equipment to nine of its melting furnaces and plans to add further units during large-scale repair works. Specifically, it plans to introduce the equipment to another two furnaces in 2011.

Voice
Transforming the Plant into a Green Plant by Reducing Water Use and Promoting Water Recycling

The Automotive Glass General Division (AGGD) of PT Asahimas Flat Glass (AMG), which manufactures and sells a range of automotive glass products, consumes a large amount of demineralized water*1 in the glass cleaning process. In the demineralization system which AGGD's Cikampek Factory had been traditionally using, we need to take special care with treatment of wastewater as it contains acid and alkali. However, the plant now uses reverse osmosis (RO) systems that do not use acid or alkali for demineralization, which has enabled the plant to recycle the wastewater. The plant has
reduced the use of water per unit of glass production by 47.2% for the tempered glass line and by 7.5% for the laminated glass line. We will further reduce the use of water and promote wastewater recycling to transform our plant into a green plant.

*1 Water with minerals and impurities removed

Water Saving Teams Automotive Glass General Division Cikampek Factory PT Asahimas Flat Glass Tbk (Indonesia) Surakhmat Oktaviaranto, Production Tempered Manager (left) Nurtjahyo Hadikusumo, Plant Manager (middle) Sutrisno, Production Division Manager (right)

Topic
Use of the Selemion Ion Exchange Membrane, for the Solution of the World Water Shortage Problem

Electrodialyzer incorporating the Selemion

AGC Engineering is engaged in the manufacture and installation of environmental conservation equipment, and sells electrodialyzers that incorporate the Selemion ion exchange membranes. It is said that about 1.4 billion km³ of water exists on the Earth, most of which, however, is seawater. Fresh water that can be used by human beings accounts for only about 0.01% of the total and there are many places where fresh water is available but safe drinking water is unavailable. The Selemion is used for the concentration of seawater in the manufacture of dietary salt and for the purification, recycling, and recovering of valuable resources. The product can be applied to purify well water that is undrinkable due to high salt and nitrate concentrations to make it drinkable. At present, electrodialyzers incorporating this technology are in operation to produce drinkable water at 10 locations across the world.