Environment-friendly cement industry is a real challenge because of the inbuilt pollutants involved in the manufacturing   process itself.
However, Nabil M al-Kaluti, general manager of Khalid Cement Industries Complex (KCIC), believes that planting more trees, recycling and use of environmentally friendly materials in construction projects would help in reducing the adverse by products of the cement industry. “KCIC is not actually a manufacturer of cement itself. We are rather consumers of cement to make ready-mix concrete products,” he said yesterday. He added that around the factory the company has planted a thick fence of trees which proved to be very instrumental in reducing the amount of resulting dust and other pollutants.
“It was actually a challenge to plant all these trees and keep them living. It also involves a considerable cost, but our efforts have been rewarded,” he said. The Industrial Area now houses more labourers as a result of the recent decision of the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning to relocate the labourers’ accommodations away from family residential areas. Al-Kaluti said that they are working with the ministry to devise new practical solutions to reduce harmful emissions and
waste products. The main methods involved beside planting more trees are raising awareness about recycling and encouraging the use of innovative building materials.  KCIC for example instructs its drivers to switch their vehicles off as soon as they are not in use to reduce carbon emissions. Also they have recycling plants to reuse waste water and other materials converting them into active production components.  Al-Kaluti suggested more use of cement substitutes in nonconstructional items.  Fly ash, which is a byproduct of burning crushed coal and solidifi es when cooled into globular glassy particles, can
be used to enhance concrete products. Another solution is the use of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), a byproduct of iron-making industry. GGBS usage in concrete reduces CO2 emissions involved in the industry and sustains cement durability. In the meantime, these could reduce environmentally harmful wastes and dependency on cement by around 40- 50%. KCIC general manager also pointed out that the company is undertaking a joint research
in partnership with Qatar University to study the use of waste rubber tires in ready-mix concrete products. KCIC has also signed a contract with Shell to use earth produced materials to manufacture eco-friendly cement, “from earth to earth,” al- Kaluti said.