The AFCM has officially opened its 19th Technical Symposium and Exhibition, this year being held in the historical city of Manila, Philippines.
Around 260 guests from 26 countries have gathered for the three-day event featuring a range of technical presentations under the theme of: ‘Gearing up to New Challenges in the ASEAN cement industry.”
Presenting the welcome address, Enrico Alfiler, president of the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines discussed the crossroads of change the ASEAN region now faces. “The most pronounced change is the dominance of global players in the industry. Overall the involvement of global players has proved to be a good thing as it has brought in much capital, it has seen the upgrading and modernising of a lot of operations and also facilitated the rise of international best practice in many areas of the industry. But with these changes comes new challenges. These include recognition of our environment, a surge in fuel prices and the need to reduce the cost of operations.”
The papers presented over the course of the proceedings therefore promise to demonstrate ways in which the industry can meet such demands. Subjects under discussion include new concepts for technology for grinding operations, material handling technology, the use of alternative fuels in cement production and methods to reduce pollution.
Following the welcome address, Mr Alfiler and Mr Urip Timuryono, President of AFCM officially opened the conference with the cutting of a ribbon. They then toured the exhibition area which features all the major cement industry suppliers and runs parallel to the proceedings. The conference continues…
