Installation of the system marks significant milestone on journey to net-zero emissions

Saint-Gobain, through its building products subsidiary CertainTeed Canada Inc., has completed installation of a heat exchanger system on its industrial drywall board dryer at its gypsum facility outside Vancouver, British Columbia, which is expected to reduce the plant’s Scope 1 carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 15%. This project, the first of its kind for CertainTeed Canada, signifies a substantial investment towards increased efficiency, output and recycling, and aligns with the company’s goal to deliver the most sustainable local products to customers.

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CertainTeed’s Gypsum Wallboard Plant outside Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo: Business Wire)

The milestone comes as Saint-Gobain continues to successfully execute its Grow and Impact strategy, which includes ambitious environmental sustainability goals such as reducing the company’s consumption of energy and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. A nearly $7 million CAD investment, CertainTeed’s project in Vancouver was selected to receive $2.9 million CAD in grants, including $1.4 million CAD from the CleanBC Industry Fund program, part of the Province of British Columbia’s CleanBC Program for Industry, and $1.5 million CAD from FortisBC Energy Inc.’s (FortisBC) Custom Efficiency Program.

Gypsum wallboard is made from a gypsum slurry that is poured and dries between two sheets of paper. During one step in this process, the wallboard passes through a large, heated dryer that helps solidify the wallboard and remove moisture from the product. In Vancouver, a heat exchanger will now capture and recycle some of the waste heat emitted from the dryer, allowing the plant to maintain the dryer’s temperature while consuming less energy and ultimately reducing the facility’s carbon dioxide emissions.

“As the leader in light and sustainable construction in Canada, we must take every step available to minimize the carbon footprint of our production process, and our new heat exchanger system in Vancouver is the perfect example of that work in action,” said Julie Bonamy Racine, CEO of CertainTeed Canada. “This project showcases how government and private industry can work together to make a real difference toward our sustainability goals, and I thank the Province of British Columbia and FortisBC for their support.”

“British Columbians want to live and work in a clean and sustainable province, one that’s taking smart actions to fight climate change,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “That’s why we established the CleanBC Industry Fund and continue to support B.C. businesses to lower their emissions, as we work together to meet our climate targets. Our support for CertainTeed to lower their greenhouse gas emissions through innovative technologies is another example of how we can work with the private sector to grow a clean economy that works for everyone.”

“FortisBC is committed to supporting the sustainability and energy efficiency goals of our customers and we applaud CertainTeed for their creative, innovative approach to lowering energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions in their production process,” said Joe Mazza, vice president of energy supply and resource development at FortisBC. “Working together with our customers is a critical way we can support them in reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions as we work toward achieving a lower-carbon energy future.”

CertainTeed’s plant in Vancouver, which is the only gypsum wallboard manufacturing facility in British Columbia, has taken substantial steps over the last few years to reduce its environmental impact. In 2023, the facility surpassed one million tonnes of recycled gypsum returned to production, the equivalent of enough wallboard for 250,000 homes in the province. These projects come as CertainTeed Canada continues to make strides to meet the group’s substantial sustainability goals, including construction toward the electrification of its gypsum plant outside of Montreal, which will be the first net-zero carbon wallboard plant in North America for Scope 1 and 2 emissions and only the second in the world after another Saint-Gobain facility in Fredrikstad, Norway.

With over 145 manufacturing locations in the United States and Canada, every current and future member of the company’s team plays a vital role in achieving its sustainability goals. A current list of job openings at all Saint-Gobain locations, including in Vancouver, can be found on the company’s career website.

About CertainTeed

With innovative building solutions made possible through its comprehensive offering of interior and exterior products, CertainTeed is transforming how the industry builds. As leaders in building science and sustainable construction, CertainTeed makes it easier than ever to create high-performance, energy-efficient places to live, work and play, so that together we can make the world a better home.

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the world's largest and oldest building products companies, CertainTeed has more than 6,900 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The group had total sales of approximately $5.6 billion in 2021. www.certainteed.ca

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€51.2 billion in sales in 2022

168,000 employees, locations in 75 countries

Committed to achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050

For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit www.saint-gobain.com and follow us on Twitter @saintgobain

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