Cement, Energy & Environment

are the world's favourite cities in terms of doing business in, living in and visit. No Indian city was featured in the overall list. Respondents chose from a list of 48 major cities and asked which ones were the best to do business in, which were best to live in and which people most wanted to visit. Each city was given an overall score based on the sum of responses across all three categories. The individual winners of each category globally were: New York (best place to do business), Zurich (best place to live) and Paris (best place to visit), lpsos said. Courtesy: The Hindu Business Line, New Delhi, 12.09.2013 International Country Profile SEARCH FOR NATURAL GAS SUBSTITUTION IN EGYPTIAN CEMENT INDUSTRY Arabian Cement Company asks Egyptian government to help producers switch to coal and alternative fuels, Jose Maria Magrina, CEO of Arabian Cement Company (ACC), has asked the Egyptian government to help cement producers move to using coal and alternative fuels. Eng. Magrina explained that ACC is ready to substitute all the natural gas used at its 5 Mtpa cement plant in Ain Sokhna with coal and refuse derived fuel (RDF). The investment needed to substitute natural gas or mazot (heavy duty fuel oil) with coal ranges from US$68-m/Mt, while converting to RDF costs around US$8-12/Mt. However, for private companies to be encouraged to commit to such a huge investment, the government should look into incentivising this initiative by putting together a solid policy that includes governmental support, commented Magrina. Magrina added that the government should remove the operating license fee imposed on new companies, as this was intended to cover the cost of subsidized natural gas, and that it should be granted an environmental permit. ACC is still waiting for the permit to use coal, which will replace 70% of its gas supply. Once the company is granted the permit, it will be ready to make the conversion by the fourth quarter of 2013. Since February 2013, energy shortages have caused the cement industry in Egypt a loss of 20% (3.7Mt) in production capacity, while ACC has lost 25% (350,000t) of its cement production capacity in the same peri od . Losses of over 50% are expected during the summer of 2013. Until late 2010, the Egyptian government encouraged cement producers to switch to using natural gas. However, the current energy crisis has seen the government promote the use of coal and alternative fuels instead. Courtesy: Cement & Building Materials Review, June 2013, Pp. 18 Sustainable Development LEADING MINING INDUSTRY TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY: A SMI! FIMI REPORT (2012-13) An Excerpt to produce here from the report (2012-13) prepared by Sustainability Mining Initiative (SMI), an initiative launched by FIMI in 2009, to cover Ethical Functioning, Social Responsibility, Health & Safety, and care for Environment in Indian Mining operations. This is briefly highlighted below: Introduction It is common knowledge that despite many m1nmg companies doing excellent work in sustainable mining operations and community interventions, there is a very little stakeholder appreciation . In fact, mining industry is perceived to be environmentally damaging, indulging in illegal m1nmg and not caring for the local community, particularly the tribals. Realizing this, FIMI had organized Roundtables on Mining and Community Relations in 2002 (in Jaisalmer– Rajasthan) and in Kumarakom (Kerala) in 2008. An important consensus from these Roundtables was that the mining fraternity needs to further intensify its efforts to project itself as a responsible industry. A decision was then taken that FIMI should take the initiative to mobilize enlightened mining companies to move in this direction and launch a separate movement, which should whole-heartedly work in the direction of persuading and assisting the mining sector to inculcate sustainable practices in their operations. Ten enlightened non-coal mining companies joined together and launched, on the lines of Global Mining Initiative (GMI), an Indian Mining Initiative (IMI) in 2009. 26