Ukraine project earns international recognition

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory received the International Energy Project of the Year Award 2000 in recognition of its efforts to promote energy efficiency at the Gostomel glass plant in Ukraine and reduce its reliance on power generated at Chornobyl reactors. Since 1996, Pacific Northwest and its partners, the Ukranian Energy Efficiency Center and Industrial Real Estate, have worked with Gostomel to develop a comprehensive energy-efficiency program and attract financing for implementation.

Gostomel already has invested more than $750,000 in three waste heat recovery boilers, new steam pipe insulation and an efficient air compressor. Together these suggested improvements are saving the private, profitable manufacturer of glass bottles and containers more than $220,000 a year. The plant also received approval for $3.9 million in external funding to upgrade its glass furnaces.

The project at Gostomel is part of the Industrial Energy Efficiency Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Agency for International Development and managed by Pacific Northwest.

Gostomel is one of ten industrial plants supported through this program, which helps Ukrainian manufacturers improve their energy-efficiency to be more competitive. In total, these plants have invested more than $1 million of their own funds in recommended energy efficiency measures. The other facilities include a coke chemical plant, a food processing plant, a tire plant and a producer of steel cables.

In addition to recognizing Pacific Northwest as an organization, the Association of Energy Engineers also specifically named staff members Meredydd Evans and Steve Parker in the award.