March 5, 2008 - DuPont Titanium Technologies has saved more than $100 thanks to energy-efficient upgrades. Since 2001, the titanium-dioxide manufacturer has cut its energy consumption per pound of product by nearly 30%.

"There's no one great 'eureka' moment in this kind of effort," says Rick Olson, vice president and general manager at DuPont Titanium. "Every one of our sites around the world is tracking down every possible opportunity to save energy. It all adds up, one motor and one valve at a time, day after day."

Energy-saving measures range from replacing aging electric motors to upgrading control-room computer systems to better manage operations. Plants have also implemented technology for energy recovery and reuse, such as salvaging heat energy from steam.

The company also saves energy by creating new products that require less energy to manufacture. For example, last year it introduced a less energy-intensive grade of titanium oxide for use in coatings.

"This work is never finished," Olson says. "By 2015, we expect to be able to make twice as much titanium oxide per unit of energy as we did in 1991."