Sep 13 2004
On 7 September 2004, The Premier of New South Wales, Hon. Bob Carr MP, officially opened the Sinter Machine Emissions Reduction Plant at BlueScope Steel's Port Kembla Steelworks.
President Industrial Markets, Lance Hockridge, said: "Tuesday's event marked the official opening of a key piece in our long term environmental management plan, and we were delighted Premier Carr was able to make time in a busy schedule to perform the official unveiling for us."
"The plant unveiled on Tuesday represents a $94 million investment in cleaner air... cleaner air for our employees and cleaner air for our neighbours. This investment does not add one cent to our bottom line, in fact it costs us to run and maintain the plant. This project is an example of "doing what is right", one of the guiding principles of Our Bond." Lance said.
Dust in the waste gas stream prior to installing the gas cleaning plant was around 80-100 milligrams per normal cubic metre and dioxin levels were at around 3 nanograms* per normal cubic metre of waste gas. Tests to date indicate the plant is achieving its target for less than 20 milligrams of dust per normal cubic metre, an 80% reduction, and is exceeding the dioxin target of 0.3 nanograms per normal cubic metre, and achieving a reduction nearing 97%.
The technology, developed by Sumitomo Heavy Industries of Japan, uses activated char granules to filter dust from the waste gas stream and the activated char adsorbs dioxins and sulphur dioxide. The char is later regenerated (re-activated) at high temperature, which destroys the dioxin.
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