According to local press, Mbeya Cement, a subsidiary of Lafarge Tanzania, has introduced a new bag filter that significantly reduces stack emissions and that will comply with national and international emissions limits. The €1.5 million project is part of Lafarge Tanzania’s continuous improvement plan and also the Lafarge Group Sustainability Ambition 2020.
The new bag filter reduces emissions to 10 mg/nm3, which complies with the Lafarge industrial targets and Global Environmental Standards and is lower than the emissions limit set by the 2013 Tanzania Environmental Regulations (50mg/nm3). Furthermore, the new bag filter technology ensures that power interruptions or shortages will not affect the filtering system.
The company is reportedly aiming to expand its operations in Tanzania and increase its cement production capacity to 700 000 tpa by constructing a new cement mill and packing plant and upgrading the clinker production line, due for completion in 2015. This expansion by Lafarge is set to support the growth of the mining sector, facilitate new infrastructure projects, such as roads and ports, and meet the increasing demand for building materials and new housing in the country.
Edited from various sources by Rosalie Starling