Cement, Energy and Environment

l\1EETING ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS Holcim's 2001 annual report Holcim (US) Inc. and St Lawrence Cement are playing a leading role in the debate about carbon dioxide emissions, which is crucial for the industry. Over several years, Holcim has been taking measures to improve air quality and has consistent!y been installing the latest environmental technology at its new plants. A series of internal tests have shown that the Group companies will fully meet the new, s tricter clean air standards likely to be implemented in the US in the third quarter of 2002. Another important activity is the search for alternative fuels and raw materials in the production process. In the year under review, Holcim.stepped up its efforts in the US and made major progress. At the Clarksville plant, the burning of wood chips and oil-containing waste has been given the green light, while in the future the Trident plant will be permitted to use a higher proportion of petcoke. The Dundee plant ·is successfully using old tyres. The Mississauga plant in Canada has been environmentally certified. Courtesy : World Cement April2002 P 32, Enquiry No. 1, Fax: +44(0) 1252718992 Email: mail@ worldcement.com Web: www. worldcement.com WORLD WARMING FASTER THAN FORECAST Reuters LONDON, May. 14- Planet earth is warming up faster than previously expected. Dying forests, expanding deserts and rising sea levels would wreak havoc to human and animal lives sooner than anticipated as global warming was accelerating. Says Geoff Jenkinsn, head of the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research: "It looks like it will be warmer by the end of the century than what we have predicted." Jenkins said recent revisions showed much greater output of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (C0 2 )than earlier estimated. These gases are blamed for global warming. Warmer weather will generate more droughts, floods and rising sea levels which many fear will create millions of refugees from drowning island-nations and possible war s over increasingly scarce fresh water. Economies are also likely to take a blow as farming, fishing and business will be affected by the change in climate. A 2001 UnitedNations' report on climate change forecast that global temperatures will rise two to five degrees Celsius by the end of the century. But recent data suggest temperatures could rise even higher as a worst case scenario shows four times as much emitted C0 2 in the atmosphere from today' s levels which Jenkins said is significantly higher than previously expected. Courtesy: The Statesman, 15' 11 May 2002. WASTE TO WEALTH NO PROBLEMS WITH PETCOKE Norbert Streit, KHD Humboldt Wedag AG, Germany The use of petcoke as an alternative fuel in cement and clinker production is advantageous