Minister of Industry attends inauguration of Suez Cement’s new bag filter system in Helwan
The filter system reduces dust emissions levels to a maximum of 10mg/m3, which is well below Egyptian and European standards and is part of Suez Cement’s more than LE 500 million program to improve environmental standards at its facilities across Egypt
Cairo, 17 November 2013. Helwan Cement Company, a subsidiary of Suez Cement Group of Companies (SCGC), inaugurated its new bag filter system today that is set to significantly reduce plant dust particle emissions. Mr. Omar Mohanna, SCGC’s chairman, and Mr. Bruno Carré, SCGC’s CEO, welcomed H.E. Mounir Fakry AbdelNour, Minister of Trade and Industry, Eng. Mohamed El Sewedy, Chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), Eng. Tarek Tawfik and Eng. Zaki Abdou Bassiouny, the two Deputy Chairmen of FEI, a number of board members of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, representatives from Governmental and Non-Governmental organizations and Civil Society to the Helwan cement plant.
Minister AbdelNour applauded SCGC on its ongoing commitment to the environment.
In his speech, Mr. Carré reiterated his company’s overarching goal to better protect the environment.
Since 2005, SCGC has invested a significant percentage of its industrial investments — more than LE 500 million — in the implementation of comprehensive environmental and safety policies.
Under the Environmental Pollution Abatement Project (EPAP I and EPAP II), SCGC installed new electrostatic precipitators and gas conditioning towers in its five plants, which decreased dust emissions from 450 mg/m3 to 50 mg/m3.
Futhermore, SCGC is working to replace traditional fossil fuels used to produce energy with alternative fuels that will reduce overall carbon dioxide emissions. The emissions produced by alternative fuels, including biomass fuels, are considered “carbon neutral”. Some of the byproducts of these processes can even be used to create other products.
Moving forward, SCGC hopes to build a better future for generations to come in partnership with the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, local NGOs, United Nations agencies, schools, hospitals and universities. It has also promoted a number of development programs aimed at improving living conditions of impoverished communities in Helwan, Suez and Minya as well as creating new job opportunities. To date, SCGC has invested more than LE 30 million in such social projects.
