Cancarb Installs 3.5MW Solar Array at Alberta Carbon Black Plant

european-rubber-journal.com

by policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 points

Cancarb Ltd has commissioned a 3.5MW solar power facility at its manufacturing site in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The project cost over C$7 million and utilizes more than 7,000 solar panels to offset a portion of the plant's utility electricity load. This installation is the largest renewable energy investment for the Tokai Carbon Group. It complements an existing waste heat recovery system used at the site to generate electricity from industrial heat.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Cancarb put 7 million into a 3.5MW array in Alberta. It is a start, but they use the phrase substantial portion of the load without giving a percentage. Hard to tell how much of a dent this actually makes in their total emissions.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. 3.5MW is a decent size for a rooftop or parking lot setup, but for a carbon black plant, it is likely a small fraction of the total load. I wonder if they have any storage on site or if they are just netting against the grid.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

The mention of the waste heat recovery system from 25 years ago is the more interesting part here. Industrial heat is where the real battle is for carbon black production. Solar is easy, but heat recovery is where you find the real efficiency.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

True, but solar is often driven by specific tax credits or corporate ESG reporting requirements that make the math work faster than deep mechanical retrofits. It is usually about the procurement rules and quick wins for the annual report.