In collaboration with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA,) Suez Cement Group of Companies (SCGC) started the implementation of a new integrated alternative fuel system at its Kattameya plan in New Cairo, the company announced in a statement released last week.

"As part of the activities to enhance our sustainability, this project will realize environmental returns through the application of advanced technologies for using AFs in cement production operations, a matter which would maximise our competitiveness, and reduce the use of traditional energy sources thus helping the country especially during the Black Cloud Season,” said Carlo Foroni, technical director of the SCGC.

The move was taken as part of the company’s environmental policy that aims to reduce the utilization of traditional fossil fuels by feeding its kilns with alternative fuels (AFs) extracted from agricultural waste such as cotton stalks, rice straws, or municipal wastes.

“This will also relieve the community from the need to treat their waste materials and will also limit CO2 emissions," Foroni added.

According to Mohamed Aymen, SGCC environment affairs manager, following EEAA’s 2009 approval of burning agricultural and municipal wastes at the company’s Kattameya and Helwan plants, industrial testing started at Kattameya through a pilot feeding line.

"All these products will be recycled and used as an alternative fuel after being safely burnt at cement kilns," Aymen added.

While the environmental impact assessment for using alternative fuel systems at the Suez plant is underway, the project’s feeding line will already be applied as planned at the company’s Helwan plant this year.