Ash Grove Cement today announces that its Durkee, Oregon, cement plant has been awarded the 2016 ENERGY STAR® plant certification. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR certification recognizes the plant’s performance in the top 25 percent of cement manufacturing facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meeting the strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.

"We’re honored that the EPA has awarded the Ash Grove Cement Company Durkee plant its ENERGY STAR award. This achievement demonstrates our strong commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Terry Kerby, manager of Ash Grove’s cement plant in Durkee, Oregon. “We worked to improve energy efficiency, and by boosting energy efficiency, energy costs are lower for our domestic-made cement.”

The 2016 ENERGY STAR Award Winners lead their industries in the energy-efficient production and sale of products and services, and in the development and adoption of world-class strategies that provide substantial energy and efficiency. Ash Grove Cement Durkee improved its energy performance by strategically managing energy use and making cost-effective improvements to its plant. Ash Grove’s Seattle plant was awarded ENERGY STAR plant certification in 2015.

“The ENERGY STAR is the distinguishing mark of energy efficiency for cement manufacturing plants in the United States and identifies this plant’s status among the most energy-efficient based on its performance in EPA’s ENERGY STAR energy performance scale,” said Jean Lupinacci, chief of the ENERGY STAR commercial and industrial branch.

To earn the ENERGY STAR, Ash Grove Cement Durkee implemented the following actions:

  • Installed Variable Frequency Drives on several fans throughout the facility to reduce energy use in each fan by up to 50%.
  • Installed a high-level supervisory computer system that maximizes output per kWH.
  • Adjusted mill parameters and raw materials in finish mills to maximize power efficiency in an over 4375 kw operation.

ENERGY STAR certified plants are required to have their energy performance independently verified. Manufacturing plants must achieve an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher using an industry-specific ENERGY STAR Energy Performance Indicator (EPI). EPIs, EPA’s benchmarking tools for industrial plants, measure a plant’s energy performance and compare it to that of similar plants nationwide, generating an ENERGY STAR score on a scale of 1 to 100.

EPA introduced ENERGY STAR in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 65 different kinds of products, as well as new homes and commercial and industrial buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. Over the past 20 years, American families and businesses have saved a total of nearly $230 billion on utility bills and has prevented more than 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from ENERGY STAR. For more information about ENERGY STAR Certification for Industrial Facilities: www.energystar.gov/labeledbuildings.

Ash Grove Cement Company

As the largest American-owned cement company in the United States, the Ash Grove Cement Company is a leader and pioneer in the cement industry. For 135 years, Ash Grove has provided portland and masonry cements to construct highways, bridges, commercial and industrial complexes, single- and multi-family homes, and a myriad of other structures fundamental to America's economic vitality and quality of life. Ash Grove ships 8.2 million tons of cement annually from eight cement plants located across the country, and is known for quality, reliability and a commitment to safety.