Suez Cement invests millions in sustainability targets

Suez Cement, part of the Heidelberg Materials Group, continues to invest heavily in its environmental sustainability efforts. According to the company, since 2010 it has spent US$60m on technology to lower dust emissions throughout its operations, resulting in an 80 per cent reduction in dust emissions by the end of 2020, compared to the company’s 2012 baseline.

A further US$16m was invested in non-fossil-based fuels with the installation of alternative fuel (AF) technology in its plants in Helwan, Kattameya and Suez. This makes Suez Cement the first cement producer in Egypt to not only feed AF materials into its main burners but also for all its kilns. Most recently, it announced an additional US$25m for a waste heat recovery system at its Helwan plant, using waste energy to meet up to 30 per cent of the plant’s electricity requirements.

“Cement will always remain a necessary material for the country’s infrastructure and housing sector, and it is our responsibility to provide this essential commodity with the least harm to our environment,” said Mohamed Hegazy, managing director, Suez Cement Group of Companies (SCGC). “That is why we are investing millions of US dollars to reduce our environmental footprint in different key areas such as alternative energy sources, and the reduction of clinker in our cement.”

SCGC aims to become one of Egypt’s most sustainable companies in the cement sector, setting an ambitious CO₂ reduction target of 24 per cent by 2030, compared to the 2019 baseline.