Saint-Gobain Canada has completed an expansion and upgrade project at its CertainTeed Gypsum plant in Sainte-Catherine, Quebec. According to the company, the facility is now North America’s first zero-carbon (scopes 1 and 2) gypsum wallboard plant and the largest in the world. First announced in 2022, Saint-Gobain completed major electrification upgrades allowing the plant to be solely powered by renewable electricity.

The facility upgrades also helped decrease energy usage by up to 30% and boost production capacity by up to 40%, the company says.

With new processes and equipment, CertainTeed’s plant has reduced its CO2 emissions by 44,000 tons per year – equivalent to the average emissions of 14,000 cars annually. This milestone also marks the launch of a new Infinaé gypsum wallboard category in Canada, within which CarbonLow, produced locally, is estimated to have up to 60% less embodied carbon cradle-to-gate.

“The ambitious electrification project we just completed in Canada is a tangible and impactful example of Saint-Gobain's commitment to making the world a better home,” shares Jean-Claude Lasserre, CEO, Saint-Gobain Canada. “We were also able to increase production capacity to help address the housing shortage.”

Mark Rayfield, President & CEO, Saint-Gobain North America: “This important investment will not only make Saint-Gobain North America the leader in sustainable drywall manufacturing, it will further our operations in Canada, where we remain committed to growth and providing light and sustainable building materials for all Canadians.”

A three-year transformation

Overall, 80% of the plant’s equipment was upgraded through this three-year project and new processes were implemented to significantly reduce carbon emissions:

Replacing natural gas burners with highly efficient electrical heating elements.
Implementing real-time smart energy meters and management system.
Implementing multiple heat recovery systems and upgrading equipment insulation.
Adding process sensors to monitor and improve production quality.
Improving compressed air design.
Additional improvements are being implemented and will be deployed in the near future to further improve sustainability at the site:

Increasing recycled content by using pre- and post-consumer waste.
Reducing inbound transportation of natural gypsum rock from various sources.

Source: hbsdealer.com