Lafarge Mbeya Cement, part of the Lafarge group, has inaugurated a new bag filter to reduce stack emissions at its plant at Songwe, Tanzania. The initiative forms part of the company's efforts to improve its overall production process which will also see an increase in capacity.

The filter reduces stack emissions to 10mg/nm3, lower than the 2013 Tanzania Environmental Regulations of 50mg/nm3 and in line with Lafarge Industrial targets.

Speaking at the inauguration last Friday, Catherine Langrency, CEO of Mbeya Cement, said: "The inauguration of this bag filter further underlines Lafarge Tanzania's commitment to continuous improvement plan and part of the Lafarge Group Sustainability Ambition 2020, which is to have responsible and environmentally friendly operations."

Mbeya Cement, which is 65 per cent owned by Lafarge, operates a 0.35Mta plant under its brand name Tembo Cement. Langrency noted that the company is also increasing its overall manufacturing capacity to 0.7Mta by adding a new mill, clinker upgrade and packing plant. The project will be completed in the second quarter of 2015.