Teresa cement works renewable energy efforts, Philippines

As part of the Lafarge group’s worldwide strategy to lower its CO2 emissions, its Philippine subsidiary Lafarge Republic Inc.'s (LRI) has demonstrated its commitment to sustainability at its Teresa Plant in Rizal by increasing energy efficiency and using more renewable energy.

In search of more environment friendly solutions, the Manila Bulletin reports that LRI invested in a waste heat recovery unit. LRI is the first cement manufacturer in the country to introduce this sustainable and green technology that optimises excess heat to generate electricity.

The system has the capacity to meet approximately 30 per cent of Teresa Plant's electricity requirements. By displacing this amount of electricity from the grid, the plant's greenhouse gas emissions decreased by approximately 12,000t of CO2 per year, which is comparable to 10.6 million trees being planted annually. This is also in keeping with LRI's commitment to reduce its net CO2 emissions per ton of cement.

'We can say that Teresa Plant is now 30 per cent less dependent on the Luzon Power Grid,' said lawyer Anda Bolinas, Legal Manager of Lafarge Cement Services (Philippines), Inc. 'Fuel costs and power availability were the main challenges for the company in 2011 and we expect these two factors to still be challenges this year. The HRS helps address those challenges this year and in the coming years.'