Nalco Program Saves Gallatin Steel More Than 179 Million Gallons of Water per Year

NAPERVILLE, Ill., April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nalco (NYSE: NLC), providing essential expertise for water, energy and air, has helped Gallatin Steel's mini-mill in Ghent, KY, sharply reduce its water and energy use while also cutting greenhouse gases and solid waste disposal.

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The Gallatin mill, a major recycler of scrap metal, makes rolled steel that is used in the pipe and tube industry, construction, transportation and other markets. To minimize the amount of Ohio River water used to cool the hot steel, Gallatin filters and recycles water in the cooling process. Unfortunately, oil and grease buildup in the filtration system was causing increased water use, consuming more energy to run pumps and requiring more frequent filter replacements.

"We recognize that environmental protection is a key value and good business," said Tobin Pospisil, President of Gallatin Steel. "As a major recycler of millions of tons of scrap metal, we wanted to find ways to improve our cooling system operation to save water and energy as well."

Nalco engineers worked with Gallatin employees to understand the mechanical and operating factors affecting water system performance. Nalco CAT-FLOC® technology was used to reduce oil and solids in water that directly contacts the steel during production, improving filtration operations. Nalco 3D TRASAR® technology optimized cooling system water, enhancing water reuse and recycling.

The results reduced annual raw water use by 179 million gallons per year and decreased pump operations, saving 2.3 million kWh of energy annually. The energy cutback avoided nearly 2,400 tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions while improved filtration eliminated landfilling 410 tons of sludge each year. Gallatin's environmental return on investment (eROI) also included substantial savings in energy, maintenance and waste disposal costs.  

For more information about how Nalco helped Gallatin Steel shrink its environmental footprint, visit www.nalco.com/gallatin.

About Nalco

Nalco is the world's largest sustainability services company focused on industrial water, energy and air applications; delivering significant environmental, social and economic performance benefits to our customers. We help our customers reduce energy, water and other natural resource consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases and improve productivity and end products while boosting the bottom line. Together our comprehensive solutions contribute to the sustainable development of customer operations. Nalco is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. More than 12,000 Nalco employees operate in 150 countries supported by a comprehensive network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and research centers to serve a broad range of end markets. In 2010, Nalco achieved sales of $4.25 billion. For more information visit www.nalco.com.

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Nalco_News and www.twitter.com/NalcoCompany.

About Gallatin Steel

Gallatin Steel, a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Gerdau Ameristeel, is a flat-rolled carbon steel producer located in Ghent, Ky. The company is located on the banks of the Ohio River approximately one hour from Louisville, Ky. and Cincinnati, Ohio.

SOURCE Nalco

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