GE Teobaldo Ceramic is a red ceramic company that is located in the Paudalho municipality, in the state of Pernambuco, the northeast region of Brazil. The ceramic industry produces bricks and flagstones mainly for the regional market in Pernambuco.
Native wood from the Caatinga biome was used to fire the ceramic devices, which was the pioneering practice in the region. The wood was not from areas with reforestation or sustainable management activities, and thus this type of wood was considered a non-renewable biomass.
This fuel switching project will use renewable biomasses instead of native wood to generate thermal energy and will reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions.
IMPACTS
Environmental
- Use of renewable biomass: Algaroba wood, wood residues and native firewood coming from forest management plan.
- The entrepreneur is in possession of a DOF (Forest Origin Document) – document that helps the company to prove the renewability biomass contributing for the environmental aspects
- The residues such as broken or defective units are reintegrated in the clay mix or are used to fill the roads and the ceramic field.
- Ashes generated in the production process are incorporated into the clay for manufacture of the products, and used to seal the doors kiln.
Social
- Food staples are offered to employees as additional benefits to salary.
- Despite the fact that the work in the red ceramic industry is very heavy, two women were hired to work in the administration department.
- The GE Teobaldo Ceramic carries through sporadic and frequent donations to institutions in the region, as for example to the EMIP11, and offering sports equipments to the community.
- Some workers are receiving technical courses, mainly regarding ceramic and equipment courses
- Improvement of working conditions: use of mechanical burners for injecting the renewable biomass into the kilns (avoid contact with high temperatures), construction of sanitation facilities and drinking fountains, purchase of a motor cycle, to facilitate the bricks transportation.
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