Egyptian Cement Company

completed

REVISED ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW SUMMARY (ERS)Project Name EGYPT - EGYPTIAN CEMENT COMPANY (ECC)Region Central Asia, Middle East and North AfricaSector CementProject No. 007044 1. This project involves the development by Egypt Cement Company (ECC) of a 2.7 million tons per year capacity greenfield cement plant as well as limestone and clay quarries. The plant will be located on a 100 hectare site north of the Maadi - Soukhna road, approximately 93 km southeast of Cairo. It will be a state-of-the-art dry process plant, equipped with modern pollution control equipment and designed for low fuel and energy consumption. Two 4,300 ton per day preheater kilns will be fired with natural gas, with heavy fuel oil as a back-up, and will be equipped with a five stage preheater and a precalciner. Electric power will be provided by the local utility. The plant will have a staff of 320 employees, and will be the first in Egypt to have an on-line gamma metrics analyzer. A continuous emissions monitoring systems is linked to the control of kiln and mill operations. The revised Environmental Impact Assessment Study (EIAS) for the proposed plant, report dated July 1996, was prepared by ECC. The original EIAS was prepared by Arab Swiss Engineering Company.2. The proposed limestone quarry is approximately 1 km from the plant and has proven reserves of nearly 100 million tons. The clay deposit, located 50 km to the west of the limestone quarry, has proven reserves of nearly 48 million tons. These reserves are more than adequate for the expected operating life of the plant. A crusher at the limestone quarry will process both limestone and clay, which will then be transported to the plant by a covered belt conveyor. Gypsum, which is added to the cement in the final grinding process, will be purchased locally and trucked to the site. Cement products will also be distributed by truck.3. This is a category B project according to IFC''s environmental review procedure because specific impacts may result which can be avoided or mitigated by adhering to generally recognized performance standards, guidelines or design criteria. The review of this project consisted of appraising technical and environmental information submitted by the project sponsor, and the technical appraisal and site review completed by IFC''s Technical and Environment Department staff. The following potential environmental, health and safety impacts of the project were analyzed:air emissions;water supply;liquid effluents and spill prevention;solid wastes, including the disposal of alkali by-pass dust;transportation safety;land use;quarry development and reclamation;fire prevention; andequipment safeguarding and employee protection from noise and dust.The information provided about how these potential impacts are addressed in the development of the proposed project is summarized in the paragraphs that follow.4. The primary fuel for kiln firing will be natural gas, which is available by pipeline close to the plant. Use of natural gas will result in inherently low emissions of SO2; low NOX burners will be used to control NOX emissions. The plant will be equipped with five electrostatic precipitators for control of dust emissions from kiln, bypass, clinker cooler and cement mills exhaust gases. Dust control devices will also be provided at appropriate transfer points and other secondary sources of dust emissions. Dust emissions from all sources are guaranteed by the equipment supplier to not exceed the 50 mg/Nm3 World Bank guideline for new cement plants. Plant air emissions will also comply with the requirements of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency.5. Water will be available from either the main pipeline along the Quattamia Soukhna road or an underground aquifer. Water will be stored in an onsite concrete reservoir and water for potable use will be treated, in accordance with health regulations, before distribution within the plant.6. There will be no discharge of process effluent from the plant. A water treatment plant and closed loop arrangement for recirculation of water will reduce the requirement for make-up water. A sewage treatment plant will be installed, and the treated sewage used for irrigating vegetation in green areas around the plant; treatment plant sludge will be used as fertilizer.7. The presence of alkali in the raw material necessitates the installation of an alkali bypass for the operation. Alkali by-pass dust will be sprayed with water to reduce emissions during handling, then transported in closed trucks to a secure landfill located in the desert. Alkali dust placed in the landfill will be covered by a minimum of 0.5 meter of sand cover to prevent wind dispersion of the dust. Other solid wastes from the plant will be disposed of in a separate sanitary landfill developed for the project.8. A 2.5 kilometer paved plant entrance road will be constructed from the main Quattamia Soukhna road. Backup heavy fuel oil for the kiln will be trucked to a storage tank at the site. The fuel storage tank will be placed on a concrete foundation and provided with secondary containment to prevent the contamination of soil in the event of an oil spill.9. The plant will be located in a desert area with sparse vegetation, and there is a large natural buffer between the plant and neighboring areas. There is no human habitation or cultivated land as well as minimal bird and animal life within the plant or quarry sites. The proposed plant and mining area, according to Egyptian experts consulted by ECC''s environmental consultant, do not contain any known Acheulean sites. In the event antiquities sites are found during construction, ECC will cease activities in affected areas until necessary clearance is obtained from the authorities.10. The limestone and clay quarry sites will be developed by first stripping the sparse native vegetation and topsoil. Bulldozers which are equipped with rippers will be used to loosen the raw materials; blasting will occasionally be required. Following crushing in the quarry, the limestone and clay will be transported to the plant by belt conveyor. Based on projected production rates, the limestone quarry face is expected to advance approximately 20 meters per year. Waste raw material will be placed in specified disposal areas. These areas and worked out portions of the quarries will be graded and allowed to naturally revegetate.11. Appropriate measures are being taken in the design of the plant to provide fire protection and facilitate early alarm in case of fire. Electrical equipment rooms will be furnished with automatic alarm and dry chemical-type fire fighting systems. Storage areas for empty cement shipping bags will be equipped with water sprinklers. Fire hydrants and portable fire extinguishers will be located at strategic points throughout the plant. A standby diesel generating set will provide emergency power to fire fighting pumps in the event of power failure.12. ECC is committed to implementing a strong occupational health and safety policy, organizing effective safety training, providing medical services onsite, supplying personal protective devices for its employees and providing appropriate equipment safeguarding. Written policy guidelines and procedures as well as organizational arrangements for health and safety will be developed early in project implementation, and be in place during plant commissioning.13. Based on its review of available information regarding potential environmental impacts and proposed mitigation measures, IFC concludes that the proposed project is being designed to meet Government of Egypt requirements, and World Bank policies, and environmental, health and safety guidelines.14. IFC will monitor ECC''s ongoing compliance with World Bank policies and guidelines during the life of the project by evaluating monitoring reports submitted annually to IFC by the sponsor and by conducting periodic site reviews during project supervision.ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED TO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTER: 10/28/96REVISED DATE: 2/26/97