Egypt: Khaled Fahmy, the Minister of Environment, has said that government ministers have approved a plan submitted by the Ministry of Environment that seeks to encourage the increase in waste used as energy in cement plants to 15% by 2030. He said that the cabinet adopted the plan, adding that discussions are underway with heads of plants to discuss problems they face in using waste as fuel, according to the Daily News Egypt newspaper. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail has asked operators in the cement industry to start studying their energy consumption and to start suggesting ways they can increase their rate of co-processing of alternative fuels.
The plan hopes to utilise nearly 22Mt of solid waste and 30Mt of agricultural residues to produce the refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy are also preparing legislation to encourage investors to start waste-to-energy businesses.
"The real problems facing investors in the waste recycling business is the lack of commitment by cleaning companies to provide the required quantities of waste to be recycled and used as an alternative fuel," said Fahmy. The ministry is also trying to improve the performance of waste management vehicles with new technology.
