Plans to use coal in Egyptian cement plants are rejected

Egyptian industries such as cement and steel, which consume immense amounts of energy in order to operate, have been struggling with mass shortages of natural gas. Several companies and plants have been unable to operate at full capacity and some face closure if a solution does not become apparent. This has resulted in massive losses for the industry as production decreases. The ministers of electricity and power had been looking into using coal as an alternative for natural gas and diesel in cement plants in order to revive the industry. The Ministry of the Environment was requested to study the environmental impacts of using coal as a power source, as many plants worldwide do.

The Minister of the Environment, Dr Leila Iskandar, has rejected the import of coal as an alternative fuel due to its damaging effects on both the environment and population. However, the Minister has confirmed that the Ministry of the Environment will make a final decision in the next month, in the wake of ongoing studies into the environmental effects of using coal.

Edited from various sources by Rosalie Starling

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/africa-middle-east/29102013/plans_to_use_coal_in_egyptian_cement_plants_are_rejected_349/