CSS…before environmentally friendly solutions turn into catastrophic disasters

CSS…before environmentally friendly solutions turn into catastrophic disasters

Recently, the environmental scene in Egypt has topped the issue of the possibility of relying on what was metaphorically called “CSS” as an environmentally friendly alternative fuel in the kilns of cement factories instead of using coal, without anyone being harmed. Because this matter may pose a serious threat to the Egyptian environment, in fact there are many environmental, economic and commercial aspects that must be taken into consideration.

 So what is this material and is it truly environmentally friendly without any danger it may pose to it?

Alternative Fuels

Alternative fuelIt is any type of material that can be burned to generate energy and used as fuel, other than traditional fuels such as fossil fuels of all kinds or nuclear materials such as uranium and thorium.

There are many types of alternative fuels, including agricultural waste, fuel derived from waste “RDF”, end-of-life tires “TDF”, or recovered secondary fuel “SRF”.

Secondary recovered fuel “SRF”

Secondary Recovered Fuel “Secondary Recovered Fuel”, which is symbolized by the abbreviation “SRF”, is one of the promising types of alternative fuel that can represent a high-quality option as an alternative to fossil fuels in many From industries.

SRF is produced mainly by processing non-hazardous waste, including commercial waste and various municipal waste such as paper, cardboard, wood, textiles, and plastic, as well as industrial waste and demolition and construction waste.

CSS

The recovered secondary fuel “SRF” is called “Secondary Solid Fuel” in some countries, such as Italy, and in Italian “Combustibile Solido Secondario” and is abbreviated as “CSS”, and in France it is called “Combustibles Solides de Recuperation” and its abbreviation “CSR”, but in reality they are all just different translations of “SRF”.

The expected benefit of relying on “SRF/CSS” in general in Egypt

The price of a ton of “SRF/CSS” varies according to its quality and country of origin, but in all cases it is considered a better price when compared to other fuel alternatives, most notably “coal,” which is widely relied upon in The Egyptian cement industry is imported from abroad, so the “SRF” – even when imported – can greatly help in saving foreign exchange and enhancing the competitive opportunities for Egyptian cement in global markets.

From an environmental standpoint, relying on recovered secondary fuel is considered an environmental breakthrough that reduces the carbon footprint, in addition to the environmental benefit achieved from getting rid of waste by recycling it to produce “SRF” if it is Localization of its industry in Egypt.

Obstacles and opportunities at the local level

Maybe some who follow environmental affairs, as well as investors in the Egyptian cement sector, are aware of the Minister of Environment’s Resolution No. (49) of 2021, which obligated cement factories that use coal to integrate “RDF” into their energy mix, to represent… Thus, the first steps were taken on the path to gradually switching to alternative fuels. However, the decision was not without some technical problems. The decision did not differentiate between gray cement factories and white cement factories, as it is impossible to use “RDF” as an alternative fuel in the white cement industry. Because of its impact on the degree of purity of the final product, in addition to the fact that this decision did not establish a clear mechanism to ensure its implementation on the ground.

Therefore, recovered secondary fuel “SRF/CSS” may be a good alternative to coal as an alternative fuel, especially in industries and fields that consume the most energy.

With the recent recurrence of the term “recovered secondary fuel” (SRF/CSS), there is no doubt that the absence of a legal framework to regulate the process of its production and import, as well as the failure to adopt an explicit definition and clear requirements, all of this will undermine the The possibility of relying on it as an alternative fuel that is more environmentally friendly.

The commercial aspect of “SRF/CSS” may destroy its environmental friendliness

As we previously mentioned, the use of recovered secondary fuels with their different names “SRF/CSS” will lead to saving the hard currency currently used to import coal, and will also contribute to reducing the carbon footprint, which is It seems very good, but there is a hidden aspect whose consequences must be taken into account, as the countries exporting this waste (or the companies exporting it to these countries) grant importers many advantages in exchange for disposal. Of these wastes.

The above means the possibility of importers of these wastes (CSS) relying on these advantages as an economic return without caring about what the fate of these wastes will be inside Egypt, and whether they will be used as an alternative fuel or not, which is what This means that the matter may shift overnight from importing waste for use as an environmentally friendly alternative fuel to importing this waste for disposal in Egypt.

Therefore, the concerned authorities in Egypt have a great responsibility to organize the process of introducing “SRF/CSS” to the Egyptian industrial sector, and to set a clear framework and future goals – measurable – in order to gradually abandon coal and settle the secondary fuel industry. As an integral part of the energy policy, the import of this material must be limited to factories that use coal as an alternative fuel, and only the quantities that are compatible with their actual needs and production capacity must be declared, and these quantities must be deducted from the quota for that sector. Factories of the authorized energy mix, to ensure that the import of this material is limited to its use for the purpose for which it was imported, which is to use it as an alternative fuel to fossil fuels.

I hope that this article will be an early warning to move seriously and strictly and take the necessary measures, procedures and decisions, before environmentally friendly solutions turn into ungrateful environmental disasters. Its heels.