As part of efforts aimed at environmental sustainability and migration to the use of alternative fuel to power its operations, Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese Plant, is taking possession of some 100 trucks customised for easy transportation of biomass waste from all over the country for the Alternative Fuel project.
20 of such trucks were delivered and commissioned at the weekend by the management of plant which has vowed that there was no going back on the use of alternative fuel by the Ibese plant in the quest to achieve zero carbon emission and save the mother earth.
Biomass wastes can be transformed into clean energy and/or fuels by a variety of technologies, ranging from conventional combustion process to state-of-the art thermal depolymerisation technology.
Dangote Cement said, it prioritises mitigation and adaptation to climate change across its operations as a way of entrenching environmental sustainability. The goal of the company is the continuous improvement of performance on energy efficiency, waste management, water consumption, and monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the company, an example of this mindset is Dangote Cement’s alternative fuel (AF) project. As Africa’s population is projected to reach nearly 2.5 billion by 2050, the development needs of the continent are significant.
“With this growth comes an infrastructure deficit; hence there is increasing demand for building materials to support the provision of social amenities and for urbanisation. Cement manufacturing is an energy-intensive process driven largely by the demand of a growing population; hence a higher demand drives more production which results in significant emissions of greenhouse gases.
“Our response to this market pull is climate mitigation and adaptation. This is done through our alignment with regional and global industry practices which promote responsible resource extraction while meeting Africa’s need for climate resilient infrastructure,” it stressed.
Ibese Plant director, Azard Nawabuddin said, the plant is committed to collecting biomass waste from anywhere available to feed its alternative fuel machines during the cement production in line with its zero-carbon emission blueprint and in conformity with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal No 13.
During the commissioning at Ibese, Nawabuddin described the trucks’ dedication as a demonstration of the continued commitment of Dangote Cement Plc to manufacture its product in the most environmentally friendly manner devoid of air and water pollution for the safety of the people and the environment.
According to him, “the Alternative Fuel Project presents a win-win opportunity for the Plant and Nigeria such that the waste that would have contributed to environmental degradation are being evacuated from the communities at a cost and employed as fuels in the Plant, thereby reducing the Plant’s carbon footprint and energy cost and simultaneously providing direct and indirect job opportunities.’’
He promised that the plant would soon take delivery of the remaining trucks
In his remark, the acting national director of Logistics, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Suren Padayachee assured that adequate framework has been put in place to ensure that the trucks are utilized with utmost effectiveness and efficiency to meet up the biomass waste requirements of the plant.
He also revealed the plan will provide up to 100 trucks in aid of the AF Project in Ibese Plant.
The technical assistant to the Plant director and Alternative Fuel Project Coordinator for Ibese Plant, Mr. Muhammed Abdulrasheed , revealed that, the dedicated and customised fleet would increase the availability of biomass waste for the Plant’s consumption by 50 per cent, thereby boosting the Plant’s posture on partial substitution of fossil fuels.
The dedicated fleet for the management of Biomass waste is in addition to the donation of 100,000 pieces of 100kg capacity bags for management of agro-waste in communities across Nigeria through its partner, Niels Deck Nig. Limited, earlier in the year. This underscores the unwavering commitment of DCP to environmental and social sustainability of the Country.
It would be recalled that the Dangote Cement Plc’s head of Alternative Fuel, Engr. Peter Anagbe while giving an update on the alternative efforts, had said that the management of Dangote Cement was Conscious of the impact of global warming and carbon emission which was why Dangote Cement has embraced/adopted the use of alternative fuels in its operations.
According to him, the goal is to divert waste from landfills, reduce its carbon footprint and simultaneously reduce provide sustainable income opportunities for numerous households who are part of the agro-waste value chain.
“The recourse to alternative fuel is strategic given that the cement manufacturing industry is considered contributor to CO2 emissions globally. Cement production requires massive amounts of energy, while carbon dioxide is emitted during the conversion of limestone, a key natural ingredient, to clinker, an intermediate component of finished cement. Emissions also arise from the combustion of fossil fuels in the kiln and the production of electricity to power the Plant,” he stated.
Dangote Cement is Africa’s largest cement producer, with a presence across ten African countries, meeting the demand of millions of customers on the continent. The diversity of our operations in key markets act as a hedge, while positioning the business to tap into the numerous opportunities in Africa.
Over the last two decades, Dangote Cement has evolved its operations ensuring relevance with the changing market dynamics, customer demand and advancing technologies. Its years of proven track record in quality cement production, positions us as the bellwether in the cement sector in Africa.
