NON-FINANCIAL REPORT 2022
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CIRCULAR ECONOMY AS OUR KEY EFFI-
CIENCY LEVER.
We strive to improve efficiency in line with the idea of a circular
economy. Among our goals for the coming years is the systematic
implementation of solutions enabling us to:
• reduce water consumption in production processes,
• increase the use of waste generated in production pro-
cesses, especially soda and salt,
• increase the amount of secondary raw materials such as
glass cullet in the production of silicates and packaging,
• increase the share of environmentally friendly and recycla-
ble packaging.
In 2022, CIECH Pianki, which manufactures flexible PUR foams,
obtained the prestigious ISCC Plus Certificate (International Sus-
tainability and Carbon Certification). It confirms that the company
meets stringent environmental standards in the area of produc-
tion, with particular emphasis on limiting the use of petroleum-
derived raw materials, in favour of components from renewable
sources and secondary raw materials. Further activities are
planned with the use of raw materials of natural origin and those
from recycling.
OUR R&D FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
As part of its research and development activities, the CIECH
Group conducts a number of projects, primarily in the key soda
segment, which are aimed at improving the efficiency of pro-
cesses and reducing the impact of production activities on the en-
vironment. Currently, several projects are being carried out at
various stages of advancement, which focus on the efficiency of
resource use, waste reduction and the implementation of the
idea of a circular economy. The following achievements can be
listed for 2022:
The research and development (R&D) team of the CIECH Group
developed an innovative method of recovering the so-called
waste salt, formed during the soda ash production process. The
solution implemented at the factory in Inowrocław allows for the
reduction of chloride emissions in wastewater by approx. 7.5
thousand tonnes per year and improves the energy efficiency of
the calcium chloride production process (approx. 7.5% less en-
ergy consumed per tonne). It also enables the recovery of approx.
40,000 cubic metres of brine from the production process, which
can then be reused to produce soda. The innovation also allows
for reducing the consumption of process steam, which will have a
positive impact on the amount of CO
2
emissions generated.
At the CIECH plant in Inowrocław, we implemented an innovative
method of ammonia absorption in the production of soda ash.
The “Carbonisation Plus” project, developed together with scien-
tists from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (“UMK”),
increases, among others, the efficiency of consumption of raw
materials used in the technological process.
The research stage of the project related to the use of post-so-
dium lime for strengthening excavations in opencast mines, while
meeting the technical assumptions, was completed. Operational
analyses are currently underway.
We are in the final phase of construction of the CO
2
stream recov-
ery installation in the baking soda production process, which will
prevent the emissions of almost 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
We completed the stage of laboratory tests as part of the CO
2
dis-
posal project in distillation fluids. As a result of the implementa-
tion of the project, we should prevent the emissions of approx.
100 thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide after implementation in
all soda plants. Conceptual work on a pilot installation is currently
underway.
In the Foams segment, the work focused mainly on improving the
safety of products and reducing the impact of the substances
used on the environment. For instance, tests of innovative and
environmentally friendly flame retardant additives were started.
In 2022, we joined the group of investors
in the venture capital fund (VC) Emerald
Industrial Innovation Fund, specialising in
investments in start-ups that develop in-
novations supporting the idea of sustain-
able industry. At the same time, the
CIECH Group is actively looking for exter-
nal innovations through a new company -
CIECH Ventures, focusing primarily on co-
operation with young companies devel-
oping technologies related to chemistry,
sustainable industry and agriculture.
Initiation of joint projects with scientists who study methods to
reduce waste in the production of soda, establishing cooperation
with a Latvian start-up developing CO
2
separation technology, as
well as the first initiatives with start-ups operating in the precision
agriculture segment to improve the efficiency of agricultural pro-
duction - these are the effects of the first months operation of
CIECH Ventures, a specialist company established within the
CIECH Group.
CIECH Ventures also became an investor in the Ecobean start-up,
which developed a protected technology for processing coffee
waste into sustainable raw materials and specialised chemicals
using a scalable, technologically advanced solution that reduces
the carbon footprint and creates economic added value. The cof-
fee waste which is currently squandered is a source of many val-
uable substances. The investment in Ecobean is part of one of the
areas of activity of CIECH Ventures, i.e., waste management in ac-
cordance with the idea of a circular economy.