St Marys Cement in Bowmanville, Ont., is the first North American industrial organization to receive its Certification in Energy Excellence (CEE), says the company. St Marys received a Silver-Level certificate after completing an in-depth, 12-month third-party energy assessment. The presentation was made by David Arkell, president of 360 Energy, and Ottawa Orleans MPP Phil McNeely (the parliamentary assistant to the Ontario minister of energy & infrastructure PA to MEI).

“The Certification in Energy Excellence program was born out of the
need for organizations to verify their energy and environmental
leadership,” remarked Arkell, who oversees the CEE process. “It is not
only St Marys’ progress and leadership in energy use reduction that is
recognized by certification, but also the company’s adoption of
strategic goals and initiatives that ensure these reductions continue
into the future.”

“Completing the Certification Program is not about filling in forms.
It’s about demonstrating real results and measurable performance
improvements,” said Fabio Garcia, Bowmanville plant manager. “It’s a
valuable approach, not only for companies in an industrial sector like
ours [but] any organization that aspires to long-term sustainability
while maximizing cost control. By engaging in the CEE Program, St Marys
Cement was able to save $550,000 annually.”

Garcia concluded the award ceremony by thanking the representatives of
360 Energy, Mayor Abernethy of Clarington, Ont., McNeely and plant
staff for the support they have shown.

The CEE program assesses, mentors and recognizes an organization’s
energy management efforts and plans for the future. Independent energy
assessors conduct an in-depth assessment of the organization’s energy
performance over the past three years. An energy baseline is
established, and a trend of improvement demonstrated. Data is verified
by the UK-based National Energy Foundation (NEF), which provides an
independent, third-party evaluation based on international standards.

“St Marys has demonstrated a commitment to the wise use of energy by
securing CEE certification,” added McNeely. “As an engineer, I
appreciate the importance of the CEE program’s energy management
criteria, and its requirement of progressive improvements in standards
to ensure further progress.”