Suez Cement to invest in conversion to coal

Suez Cement, Italcementi’s Egyptian unit, said on Tuesday it planned to spend EGP600m (US$84m) in 2015 on equipping two factories to run on coal.

CEO Bruno Carre said in a statement to the bourse the firm would develop its Helwan and Tora 2 factories "to use coal and residues to compensate for the lack of energy supplies."

Suez Cement was one of the companies affected when the government cut natural gas supplies to factories in January and has had to import clinker at higher cost.
 
The government's move was aimed at preserving natural gas for power generation, to avoid blackouts and public unrest. It led cement companies, including Suez, to renew a demand to use coal for power generation.
 
The company has said it would begin using coal during the next two years while working to diversify its energy mix by adding waste-derived fuel in its factories.