Energy Consumption

Owing to its energy intensive profile, greater efforts are being made to minimise energy consumption in the cement manufacturing process. (Refer to Dudfield Kiln # 3 graphic below). Certainly, the ACMP members are making a concerted effort to reduce the use of non-renewable fossil fuels, particularly coal, which serves as the primary source of thermal energy used in a cement kiln for the manufacture of clinker and for drying raw materials. (This statement is encompassed among eight core considerations outlined in the international report ‘Towards a Sustainable Cement Industry’, commissioned and accepted by the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Two sections, ‘Climate Protection’ and ‘Resource Productivity’, deal with this consideration).
Different grades of coal are sourced from various locations throughout the country and transported to operations by rail and road. The South African cement industry collectively consumes more than 1 million tons of coal annually – and in the process generates more than 2, 7 million tons of CO2 annually, from this source alone.

Energy Efficiency Accord

The ACMP has ratified an Energy Efficiency Accord with the South African Government (specifically, the Dept. of Minerals and Energy - DME) that commits our membership to voluntary initiatives to improve energy efficiency.

In the context of energy usage being a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in SA, the purpose of this accord is to help move the country towards its goals of attracting investment in Clean Development Mechanism projects and efficient energy use.

The Scorecard as set by the Energy Efficiency Technical Committee (EETC)

In March 2005, the DME issued the Energy Efficiency Strategy that established targets for reducing energy consumption. Using the year 2000 as a baseline, this stipulates that by the year 2015, SA mining must have reduced its energy demand by 15% (expressed as a percentage reduction against the projected national energy use in 2015). As part of a number of methodologies and training and auditing requirements (as stipulated by the DME) to meet these ends, a scorecard has been created whereby various activities are rated against six actions, which, if implemented,  should help ACMP member companies reduce their energy consumption by 15% as stipulated in the agreement.