Cairo, Egypt, August 12, 2015 - Ecocem Industrial Ecology Egypt, a member of LafargeHolcim Group, announced that it has signed 2 major cooperation protocols with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Authority (EEAA) and key industry groups in an effort to continue its efficient waste management processes. These protocols represent an important step towards sustainable development in Egypt, and will contribute to the creation of a circular economy through the reduction of burning and dumping. The agreements will create new employment opportunities and will increase the use of alternative fuels in the country.

The first protocol was signed between Amr El Kady, GM of ECOCEM Egypt and the Minister of Environment, Khaled Fahmy, in order to allow the Agriculture Waste Collectors in Sharqeya to supply agricultural waste, including rice straw, to Ecocem Egypt. This waste will then be transformed into alternative fuels in Lafarge's Sokhna cement plant. This protocol will help to eliminate the black smog problem in Egypt, which is a result of burning rice straw during the rice cultivation and planting season.  It will ultimately create environmentally safe solutions that will reduce emissions from dumping and burning of agricultural waste, and will motivate additional projects to be implemented around environmental efficiency.

The second protocol, signed with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Authority, Orascom Telecom Media and Technology Holding S.A.E ("OTMT") and the Sharqeya Governorate, will allow Ecocem and OTMT to construct "biomass intermediate shredding-transfer stations" in the Sharqeya Governorate. This station will also transform agricultural waste into alternative fuel, and will create both direct and indirect job opportunities inside the beneficiary governorate. Under the protocol, Ecocem and OTMT will be providing the financial solutions to build and manage the station in Sharqeya. This protocol is considered a "Pioneer Project," as it is the very first biomass intermediate station in Egypt that will transfer agriculture waste into alternative fuels.

"The two protocols signed are a key step to achieving our goals to develop the use of alternative fuels. Lafarge Egypt is planning to gradually rely on alternative fuels by applying a comprehensive waste management strategy. Ecocem is proudly committing to several additional long-term contracts with different governorates, in order to support the purpose of converting different types of wastes into alternative fuels," said Hussein Mansi, CEO of Lafarge Egypt.

Ecocem Egypt has implemented many projects over the past three years in order to increase the use of alternative fuels, and aims to achieve an average fuel substitution rate of 25% by the end of 2015. More than 260,000 tons of waste have been processed and burnt in Lafarge's Sokhna plant since 2013, an equivalent of 100,000 tons of fossil fuels. The use of these alternative fuels, which aims at limiting greenhouse gas emissions, forms part of the recent concept of "Industrial Ecology," which advocates that by copying the cycles of nature, manufacturers should consider that waste from one process is raw material for another.

About ECOCEM Industrial Ecology Egypt, Member of Lafarge Holcim Group

ECOCEM Egypt was established in 2010 to support Lafarge Egypt in developing and providing effective solutions to facilitate the process of transforming wastes into alternative fuel that can be used in Lafarge's Sokhna cement Plant. Since 2012, ECOCEM has prepared, processed, and transported around 300,000 tons of waste as alternative fuels.

About LafargeHolcim 

With a well-balanced presence in 90 countries and a focus on Cement, Aggregates and Concrete, LafargeHolcim (SIX Swiss Exchange, Euronext Paris: LHN) is the world leader in the building materials industry. The Group has 115,000 employees around the world and combined net sales of CHF 33 bn (EUR 27 bn) in 2014. LafargeHolcim is the industry benchmark in R&D and serves from the individual homebuilder to the largest and most complex project with the widest range of value-adding products, innovative services and comprehensive building solutions. With a commitment to drive sustainable solutions for better building and infrastructure and to contribute to a higher quality of life, the Group is best positioned to meet the challenges of increasing urbanization.

More information is available on www.lafargeholcim.com

CONTACTS
Samar Raouf
Communications Director
E-mail:samar.raouf@lafarge.com
Tel.: +20-2-27689400  | Dir.: +20-2-27689570
Fax: +20-2-23131929  | Mob.: +20-12-0505999

Lafarge Egypt
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Sector One, 5th Settlement, New Cairo, Egypt

© Press Release 2015