Salonit Anhovo recognised for AF usage
The Slovenian cement producer Salonit Anhovo has won a bronze EBRD Sustainable Energy Award for substantial progress in the use of non-hazardous solid recovered waste in the energy mix. The prize was presented to the company by Dariusz Prasek, EBRD Director, Environment and Sustainability Department, in the presence of Slovenia’s Minister of Economy, Zdravko Počivalšek and EBRD Head of Office in Ljubljana, Jolanta Gabriel.
Salonit Anhovo is introducing a new system which will allow the producer to increase levels of alternative fuel substitution from the current level of about 60 per cent to over 75 per cent, resulting in CO2 savings of more than 10,000tpa. The plant in Anhovo will achieve a carbon emission intensity factor of 0.737kg CO2/kg clinker, which is substantially below the relevant EU benchmark.
Compared with the expected evolution of key performance indicators Salonit Anhovo is presently at levels expected for the industry for 2025 in terms of specific heat consumption and for 2030 in terms of clinker ratio in cement and specific CO2 emissions. The investment is enabling the cement plant to change the composition of its fuel with a share of up to 75 per cent for non-hazardous solid recovered waste.
The investment, financed by the EBRD with a EUR15m loan in December 2016, will also have a beneficial effect on operational costs, which will decline thanks to the adjusted fuel structure.
EBRD Director, Mr Prasek said: “We are very pleased to recognise Salonit Anhovo’s foray into alternative fuel with this award. This is an excellent example of how an innovative, tailor-made solution can benefit both finances and the environment. This investment will bring significant cost savings, contribute to the operational restructuring and support the resource efficiency of Salonit Anhovo by increasing the use of alternative fuel in the energy mix.”
Minister Počivalšek added: “Salonit Anhovo is among the leading producers of building materials in Slovenia. The production of cement requires high energy consumption, so I can only praise the efforts of owners, management and employees who have designed a solution with which they can achieve important business and environmental improvements. This is a shining example of innovation – and the justification of the award confirmed the company’s leading position on a European level.”
Julijan Fortunat, chairman of the Board, Salonit Anhovo, said: “In Slovenia, half of all constructions are built with cement from Salonit Anhovo...Our development team has designed this innovative solution on the basis of 30 years of experience with the use of waste as a fuel in a continuous investment cycle. Although the business environment is demanding and administrative processes are long and complex, we were able to implement a highly advanced production line. The results are an encouragement to continue with innovation towards sustainable cement production in a circular economy. We thank the EBRD for recognising the impact of this investment.”
