ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Water and Energy Conservation

Water is one of the limiting factors for the agricultural, urban and industrial development, having in mind that its availability is being rapidly reduced due to the gradual demand increase and the continuing pollution of the water sources still available. Water scarcity can no longer be considered a unique attribute of arid and semi-arid regions. Many areas with abundant water resources, but insufficient to meet excessively high demands, also experience conflicts among the users and are subjected to consumption restrictions that affect the economic development and quality of life.

To reestablish the balance between water supply and demand and ensure the economic and social development sustainability, it is necessary that modern methods and alternative systems are properly developed and implemented based on the systems characteristics and specific production plants. This way, reuse, recycling, demand management, loss reduction and waste minimization, associated to conservation practices, constitute extremely important practices for the water resources management and pollution reduction.

The concept of sources substitution reveals itself the most likely option to satisfy less restrictive demands, enabling better quality waters for more appropriate uses, as domestic water supply. Lower quality waters, such as industrial processes effluents, as well as sewage (particularly from domestic origin), courtyard drainage, agricultural and salty waters shall, whenever possible, be considered as alternative sources for less restrictive uses.

Around 5% of the total fresh water consumption in Brazil caters for the industry. Industrial sectors like oil refining, chemical and petrochemical, food industry and others require large water amounts to produce goods such as fuels, plastics, building materials, fertilizers and food.

Energy saving means water saving. Thus, an energy conservation program directly affects the required volume of water in our operations.

Companies that look for financial return from an energy conservation program keep a continuous effort to improve its energy efficiency. Its success is based on a regular efficiency assessment and implementation of necessary actions. Regardless the company size, the common element for the energy conservation success is the commitment to allocate required human and economic resources. The more advanced companies maintain a dedicated team and an energy policy. The energy efficiency directly affects the business environmental sustainability. Options for renewable energy, such as biomass, solar, geothermal and wind, use small water amounts when compared with conventional sources, like coal and nuclear. This way, when we invest in renewable energy we are investing in water conservation.