…Invests $10m to convert municipal waste to energy in Calabar

Innovative building solutions company, Lafarge Africa Plc (LAP) has expressed commitment to ensure that its operations meet and exceed environmental standards in the country.

The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAP, Mr Lolu Alade-Akinyemi, made this assertion during a courtesy visit to the Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency NESREA), Dr Innocent Barikor, in Abuja on Thursday.

He also disclosed that LAP recently invested about $10million to build systems that feed municipal waste into its kiln at its plant in Mfamosing, Calabar as part of the company's continuing bid to ensure a sustainable environment.

He appreciated NESREA for their support for Lafarge saying the collaboration that LAP has had with NESREA over the years has been very progressive.

Alade-Akinremi said: “Keeping the standards is absolutely very important for us because caring for the environment is not a cliché. We are all responsible because we owe it to not just this generation, but to future generations.

“Turning municipal waste into energy represents a huge opportunity. If you look at some countries outside Nigeria, particularly in Europe, they say waste to wealth. We say, ‘waste to energy’. At Lafarge Africa, we are fully committed to advancing waste management practices that minimize waste generation and maximize resource recovery.

“Instead of using fossil fuel, we are incorporating options like palm kernel shells, municipal waste, industrial waste, sawdust, shredded tyres, carbon black and others to provide fuel for our kilns.

“We believe we have so many opportunities in this area. In our plant in Ewekoro, Ogun state, we are substituting fossil fuel, and our clean energy source is now as high as 45%. From my visit to Calabar, we are already investing almost $10 million there to create a feeding system to feed municipal waste to our kiln. If you look around Calabar and the waste, you ask yourself, “what do they do with it?” So, rather than throwing it away, we are using it within our kiln.

“We have the same system in our plant in Ashaka, Gombe state,” he said.

In his remarks, the Director General of NESREA, Dr Barikor, commended LAP for its cooperation with the agency over the years and for its continued support.

Barikor said: “Looking at your records with us, it is very clear that Lafarge has been very cooperative and understanding. As an agency, we are doing the utmost possible and we are firmly committed to ensuring that the Nigerian environment is sustainably exploited and not polluted.”

Alade-Akinyemi assured him of LAP’s commitment to the Nigerian environment, saying, “Our goal is to contribute to a safer environment where waste is not just disposed off but is repurposed and reintegrated into the production cycle.

“This initiative aligns with our commitment to environmental responsibility and with NESREA’s support, we believe we can drive this positive change within our industry.”