Ternium publishes a new environmental policy to place greater emphasis on energy saving, a major vector in industrial excellence, competitiveness and sustainability.
Ternium has approved an update to its environmental policy to meet the increasing need to protect the environment and minimize the footprint of the company’s activities.
“This document condensates our commitment to the environment, a fundamental part of the operational license we renew with our community every day. Following it in everything we do is key for our future, our competitiveness and industrial sustainability,” said Máximo Vedoya, Ternium’s CEO.
The Environmental Policy, which defines care of the environment as a “fundamental value” of the company, is a document in which the organization declares its intentions and principles regarding its overall environmental performance. It was previously updated in 2014.
“We must increasingly differentiate ourselves in the field of environmental protection and integrating Energy Management with the Environment in this new policy is a step in the right direction,” said Pablo Bassi, Ternium’s Director of Engineering, Environment, Safety and Industrial Coordination.
Like the rest of the steel industry, Ternium makes intensive use of energy, which accounts for a large part of the cost of its manufacturing processes (coal, natural gas, electrical energy, etc.) These fuels produce CO2 directly and indirectly. CO2 is responsible for the Climate Change that has seen the world warm in recent decades.
“It is our obligation but also our sense of ethical responsibility towards future generations to reduce our environmental footprint through efficient and effective management of our business,” said José Fonrouge, Ternium’s Environmental Director.
The next steps
With an emphasis on the new energy policy Ternium is making progress with the implementation and certification of ISO 50.001, which sets quality standards for energy management. The Ternium plant in Río de Janeiro was the first to be certified and today leads the way for the rest of the company’s industrial system. Fonrouge explains that he’s already working on the certifications for the Ternium Industrial Center in Pesquería and the steel mill at the Savio Plant in Argentina.
“Although we had already made energy consumption a key part of our administration, ISO 50001 certification addresses the issue in greater detail and helps us to standardize and integrate management with a systematic approach that takes into account local contexts, life cycles and interested parties,” Fonrouge adds.
“Implementation of ISO 50.001 certification will require teamwork with the active participation of every sector: Operations, Maintenance, Environment, Energy Efficiency, among others. This tool for the systematic management of energy consumption will allow us to help reduce consumption, lower costs and reduce emissions.” concludes Hernan Buralli, Head of Energy Efficiency.
The new policy is now available electronically while a campaign to replace the physical billboards will be implemented in accordance with local needs.