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Limiting local environmental impacts - Actions

 

• Optimizing the utilization of raw materials
• Replacing fuel oil
• Reducing and processing VOC emissions

Optimizing the utilization of raw materials

Reducing the quantities of purchased solvent

Solvents used in the production process are either purchased ("consumed" quantities) or regenerated at Group sites.
Process optimization, regeneration (when possible) and thermal conversion are encouraged to decrease the quantity of non-renewable raw materials consumed. Several solvent recycling projects aimed at reducing the quantities consumed annually are underway. 

The "Clean and Safe Design" working group has drafted a set of recommendations concerning the use of solvents:

• reduce the quantities of purchased solvent;
• prefer solvents that are non-toxic and do not represent a risk to the environment;
• reduce VOC emissions;
• reduce the production of liquid waste.

Replacing fuel oil

Replace fuel oil with natural gas as quickly as possible

In order to eliminate SOx emissions from boilers, reduce the local impact due to SOx, and decrease the overall cost of heat production, sanofi-aventis has nearly completed to modify or replace existing boilers that burn fuel oil. The replacement of boilers in one of the last sites is currently being studied and will be performed as soon as natural gas distribution will be reliable.  

Reducing and processing VOC emissions

Process emissions using thermal oxidizers, scrubbers or the condensation of volatile organic compounds in our processes

VOC thermal oxidizer in Neuville (France)  

Sanofi-aventis has committed to:

• improving volatile gas condensers of production equipment;
• collecting and pre-treating gases;
• installing thermal oxidizers or co-incinerators of liquid waste and gas emissions
• when possible, installing cryogenic condensers for final processing.

The Group objectives are:

• as a first priority, to reduce emissions of specific volatile organic compounds;
• to end or reduce its contribution to the development of peaks in ozone levels near our sites.