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| Environmental performance |
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- Environmental Performance
Our environmental policy states that the ECC is firmly committed to comply with local and international environmental laws and regulations applied to our designs, constructions, operations and production phases. This commits ECC to continuous improvement and to developing our business by enhancing our environmental performance.
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- ECC's Environmental policy statement
Business activity
The Egyptian Cement Co. (ECC) is a leading producer and supplier of quality cement which is essential to provide foundations for society’s future.
Policy Statement:
We are committed to the principles of sustainable development in order to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
We continuously monitor and improve our environmental performance and provide positive contributions to our business.
Our commitment is demonstrated by providing the necessary resources to perform our job safely and in a manner, which continuously protects people and the environment.
Principles:
Our policy making is guided by the following principles:
We apply internationally accepted environmental management systems and monitor our performance.
We promote eco-efficiency, conservation of non-renewable natural resources and recycling of secondary materials.
We integrate our environmental considerations into investment decisions at all levels.
We engage with our stakeholders and report publicly on our environmental compliance, performance and progress.
We train our employees and apply industry best practice to achieve a high standard of our environmental performance.
Legal Compliance and Management Commitment:
We will comply with laws, regulations and other requirements applicable to our operations and our products. ECC’s Board is firmly committed to comply with law #4-1994 and its executive regulation, shareholders’ standards as well as the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Authorities.
Environmental Protection Program:
We have conceptualized and implemented an environmental protection program in order to minimize and mitigate the potential impacts that might arise from our operations. Our program has been documented in our Environmental Manual where policies and procedures are clearly defined.
This policy is available to our employees, regulatory authorities, and the public (on request). We will periodically review the policy to ensure that it adequately reflects our activities, products and services.
| - Nassef Sawiris
- Chief Executive Officer
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Environmental Legal Compliance
ECC has and continues to comply with environmental standard both nationally and internationally. There is a complete collection of national environmental legislation as well as of all (operating) permits available at ECC. Procedures are in place to identify new or modified legal requirements as well as to assess legal compliance.
No fines were imposed so far for (alleged) violations of (environmental) laws.
Online systems connected to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency report real-time data of air emissions from stacks. Annual reports are given to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and comply with IFC/WBCSD standards.
- Environmental protection programs
ECC settled a strict control and monitoring systems to minimize the air emissions from its operations either dust or gaseous emissions.
The required types of bag filters were distributed all over the four production lines, belts and any other areas suspected for fugitive dust emission.
As for the stacks present on site, electrostatic precipitators (EP) were supplied in order to minimize as possible the dust and gaseous emissions.
In new cement mills, giant bag houses filters types were provided instead of electrostatic precipitators present for the other 4 cement mills.
Natural gas is the main fuel used in kilns firing, this eliminates hazardous gaseous emissions that could possibly emit from other petroleum fuel.
The production process is mainly operating in a compound operations, this eliminate and reduce the emissions as the hot gas stream coming out of the kiln with dust and gaseous emission is circulated back to the mills and do not pass directly to the stacks.
The ECC plant belongs to the most modern cement plants worldwide. It has been designed and implemented with a clear view and commitment particularly also to environmental quality.
During 2003, ECC commissioned its new Continuous Emission Monitoring CEM system, which allows for real-time monitoring and control of gas emission levels. The system was installed on the four production lines main stacks and includes continuous emission monitoring equipment, electronic data recording and electronic emission value calculation equipment. The main function of the system is to read and monitor the gases emitted from the kiln stacks. Although ECC already has low emission rates by international benchmarks, the new system provides an opportunity to analyze emission trends thus leading to better control an environmental performance, the CEMAS- FTIR NT system which was purchased from the ABB Automation Group is the best available technology for emission control
Emission Monitoring & Measurements
ECC measurement should follow the emission monitoring reporting (EMR) as a guideline in their measuring techniques and reporting.
Kiln main Stacks Emissions
Continuous:
Total Suspended Particulates (TSP),
Sulphur Oxides (SOx),
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx),
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC),
Others, process request
Periodical (at least once/ year) by third party
Hydrochloric Acid (HCl),
Ammonia (NH3),
Dioxin and Furan PCDD/PCDF,
Hydrocarbons (CxHy),
Heavy Metals.
Ambient Emissions:
Total Suspended Particulates (TSP),
Respirable Particulates (PM10),
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx),
Sulphur Oxides (SOx),
Carbon Monoxide (CO),
Other, Process request
- Resource Utilization
ECC challenges grow to utilize our resources in order to maintain minimal effects on the environment while keeping up with competitors in emerging markets.
ECC has implemented a Quarry System Optimization (QSO) program for its cement companies in Egypt and Algeria, and is currently implementing the program in the remaining cement companies throughout Africa and the Middle East. The QSO program prolonged the lifetime of our companies’ limestone and clay quarries by 20-25% by significantly decreasing raw material wastes.
CO2 Reduction
It is ECC’s commitment to constantly reduce our global average specific net CO2 emissions, because we believe that in order to protect the climate while meeting the needs of a growing population and market we must improve the CO2 efficiency of operations. With the cement industry being responsible for 5% of all man-made emissions, we put all our efforts to monitor and decrease CO2 emissions in our cement operations.
We monitor and report our CO2 emission according to the World Bank Guidelines for the cement industry. An annual environmental report is presented to IFC incorporating all our data for CO2 emissions throughout the year.
ECC is constantly searching for alternate methods, whether in operation or materials, to reduce CO2 emissions in cement production throughout its companies.
Bypass Reduction
The bypass produced from cement production can be a nuisance when present in very large quantities. Countless measures have been taken to reduce the bypass rate as one can possibly can. ECC has succeeded in reducing the percent of bypass dust leaving the kiln system to less than half of what it used to be by adjusting our raw materials and optimizing our burners.
Bypass treatment line will be launched during 2006 that will incorporate the bypass into the clinker in a separate production line. This line would reduce our bypass waste to a minimum
Energy Reduction
The total thermal energy consumed per ton of clinker produced depends mainly on the type of technology used in the production process. ECC has implemented the latest technology in cement making, using the efficient dry process with preheater and Precalciner.
A closed system is used in the kilns, where gaseous emissions are circulated back to the mills and not to the stack, causing energy minimization.
Water Management
Water quality is constantly monitored in ECC. Effluent Treatment Plants is installed for biological treatment through reverse osmosis of municipal water in order for it to be reused in watering green areas in the plant. Industrial water is limited due to a closed cycle in production. Water is only lost through evaporation. Potable water is acquired from deep wells near the plant sites and is constantly monitored to ensure its safety to employees.
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