BUSINESS: 327 PRACTICES
Heracles Group is Greece's largest cement producer and has been serving the market for more than 100 years. The Group is operating in the industry of cement production and marketing, aggregates and concrete in Greece and in more than 20 countries.
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Processing and energy utilization of biomass and alternative fuels for the gradual substitution of fossil fuels in the Group's production process and the further upgrading of its environmental footprint.
The substitution of fossil fuels with biomass and alternative fuels significantly reduces the company's environmental footprint, reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and contributing to the reduction of waste destined for landfill. This has significant benefits for local communities and local government, as well as for society more broadly, as it also contributes to the achievement of national targets for waste management and climate change.
These investments belong to the 2017-2020 environmental investment program of the HERAKLIS Group which was completed in November 2020. The HERAKLIS Group intends to continue its specific environmental investment program and expand these good practices, proving in practice its dedication to the protection and respect for the environment, workers and local communities in the areas where it operates.
Guided by the principles of the circular economy, the conservation of natural resources and the protection of the environment, the HERACLIS Group has successfully completed the investments related to the development of alternative fuel activities at the Group's factories in Volos and Milaki Aliveri, taking the next step for the desulfurization of the production process in the context of sustainable development based on the principles of the circular economy.
The development of the activity of alternative fuels contributes even more to the diversion of materials from landfills, extending the life of landfills, thus reducing the environmental footprint of the HERACLIS Group's activity, but also contributing to the sustainability of its factories.
In more detail, the HERACLIS Group, as part of its green strategy, made an investment of 2 million euros in the Volos Factory, with the aim of further upgrading the environmental footprint. In this way, it replaces fossil fuels and further reduces the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced.
In particular, a new supply line was studied and installed in the main burner of the furnace, which includes the installation of receiving bulk and also packaged material in balls, the arrangements for transport, removal of metal impurities, weighing and supply of alternative fuels to the main burner through pneumatic conveying.
The capacity of the device is of the order of 12 tons/hour, enabling the plant to increase its thermal substitution with alternative fuels and biomass by up to 25 percentage points. The corresponding saving of mineral resources can reach 34,000 tons per year.
This project completed the 2017-2020 environmental investment program of the HERAKLIS Group, totaling 6 million euros for the gradual substitution of fossil fuels (coal and pet coke) in the production of cement at the Volos Factory.
The 2017-2020 environmental investment program is a milestone for upgrading the environmental performance of the Volos Factory and complements significant investments of 17 million euros that have been implemented over the last 10 years. In addition, the HERAKLIS Group, with a long-standing commitment to the continuous improvement of its performance regarding the protection of the environment, the assurance of Health & Safety and the support of local communities, planned and implemented a corresponding biomass energy utilization project in the production of cement and in its Factory Milakiou in Euboea.
Specifically, with a view to saving natural resources and protecting the environment, it made an investment of 2 million euros for the processing and utilization of biomass as an alternative fuel, replacing fossil fuels and reducing the factory's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 70,000 tons per year.
The Group's investment in the factory in Milaki Aliveri concerns a new supply line for alternative fuels to the calciner of the kiln. It has a capacity of 12 tons/hour and can safely handle both biomass and other alternative fuels. It consists of a double device for receiving bulk material, devices for transport, removal of metal impurities, removal of oversizes that may be in the biomass, weighing and feeding of alternative fuels to the calciner through pneumatic conveying.
Biomass co-processing in the new facility can replace fossil fuels in the order of 20,000 tons/year, and the replacement rate can increase up to 18%. Special care was given to active and passive fire protection systems, which act autonomously ensuring the safety of personnel and equipment.
Particular emphasis deserves to be given to the utilization of biomass, as the urban wood waste and prunings of private individuals and municipalities to date are mostly sent to the landfill. The AGET HERACLES Group of companies offers a new alternative use for this waste, helping the local government to utilize part of its waste in an environmentally optimal way.
With the completion of this project, 75,000 tons of prunings and other biomass annually can be used as an alternative fuel, bringing multiple benefits to the environment. At the same time, in this way the Group contributes to promoting the principles of the circular economy, addressing the consequences of Climate Change and the sustainable development of the local society of Euboea.
With a firm focus on promoting the principles of the circular economy for sustainable development, the HERACLIS Group intends to continue its environmental investment program and expand specific good practices, proving in practice its dedication to the protection and respect of the environment, employees and of the local communities in the areas where it operates.
With the completion of the project, the HERAKLIS Group contributes to the promotion of the principles of the circular economy, addressing the consequences of climate change and the sustainable development of the local communities in which it operates. Specifically, through the 2017-2020 environmental investment program of the HERACLI Group:
- the rational management of waste,
- the limitation of the amount of waste sent to landfill and the subsequent saving of valuable space that leads to an extension of the life of the Sanitary Waste/Residue Landfill,
- the cleaning of roads and streams and the removal of dangerous fuel from groves, forests and residential areas, which contributes to the prevention of fires.
The energy utilization of biomass and alternative fuels took place at the factories of the HERACLIS Group in Volos and Milaki Aliveriou, taking the next step for the decarbonization of the production process in the context of sustainable development based on the principles of the circular economy.
For the implementation of the biomass energy utilization investments, the Heraklis Group collaborated with well-known European equipment manufacturing companies, such as Schenck and Vecoplan, capitalizing on their many years of experience, as well as their state-of-the-art know-how in the construction of corresponding facilities in all of Europe and beyond.
The investments were made with the participation of a significant number of employees of the HERACLIS Group, both from the production units and the head offices.
Through the study and installation of a new supply line to the main burner of the furnace at the Volos Factory, the HERACLIS Group managed to increase the capacity of the device to 12 tons/hour, enabling the factory to increase its thermal substitution with alternative fuels, such as SRF and biomass by up to 25 percentage points.
Accordingly, the Group's investment in the Milaki Aliveri factory, which concerns a new alternative fuel supply line to the kiln calciner, has a capacity of 12 tons/hour and can safely handle both biomass and other alternative fuels. Biomass co-processing in the new facility can replace fossil fuels in the order of 20,000 tons/year, and the replacement rate can increase up to 18%.
