October 6, 2021
Conference ‘From Waste to Green Energy with less CO₂’ organized in Sarajevo by the Lukavac Cement Factory
In compliance with all epidemiological measures, the conference held in Sarajevo brought together over 200 representatives from the construction industry, cement production, representatives of the governmental and non-governmental sector, as well as educational institutions. At the press conference, eminent experts from Austria, Serbia, and BiH pointed out as the main topic the stimulation of changes in the field of waste disposal and reuse in BiH and the region, and drawing attention to the importance of green energy.
“I think that we must turn the current situation in our favor, not to view it as a problem but as an opportunity. We have been working on the substitution of alternative fuels for the last five years, and we have currently reduced the level of CO2 by 10%, and the plan is to bring that percentage to 25% “, points out Stjepan Kumrić, General Manager of the Lukavac Cement Factory.
The Lukavac cement factory has been following the work standards of the European Union for twenty years since its successful privatization. “The Lukavac cement factory is not only the most modern factory of this type of production in BiH, but also the most modern center in Europe. We want local levels to be self-sustaining, but if the local community cannot take on that role, we as producers must have a standard of how to take care of the environment,” said Harald Fritsch, CEO of Asamer Baustoffe AG in Austria.
According to Agenda 2030, the whole of Europe should replace the use of oil, coal and gas with alternative alternative fuels, which many experts consider a new industrial revolution. “Such processes must be conducted at the state level, as is the practice in the region.” “Unfortunately, there is no great interest in BiH for the realization of this project at the state level, and many experts believe that the private sector will be the bearer of this transition,” warned Mirza Kusljugic, president of the Steering Committee of the Center for Sustainable Energy Transition RESET.
“The cement industry of Serbia has been using alternative fuels for 10 years, and we are recording a substitution of 40%, but even that is not enough. We have to solve such changes globally and implement them locally”, emphasized Dejana Milinković, director of the Business Association” Cement Industry of Serbia “.
By creating self-sustainable systems at the local community level, the efficiency of this process would be significantly accelerated. “Waste management and the production sector are two strongly related sectors. It is important to strengthen both segments at the level of each local community, and to be able to supply these raw materials in order to speed up all production processes but also reduce waste during production,” explained Renato Sarc, Deputy Head of Waste Processing Technology and Waste Management from Montana University Leoben from Austria.
