Lafarge Official Explains What Triggered Emissions
Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe said the emissions of dust experienced at it’s Harare plant at the beginning of this month were caused by a systems failure and the situation was now under control.
There was an outcry by surrounding communities over the company’s dust management system after unusually high concentrations of dust were emitted from the plant into the atmosphere.
The company’s industrial director Stanley Kunzekweguta said they moved swiftly to implement corrective measures and managed to put the situation under control. He said:
On July 31, going into August 2 we were carrying out a trial on alternative fuel which we were mixing coal with sawdust — a waste from Manicaland Saw Mill — and in this process, we had high carbon dioxide levels that caused our electrostatic precipitation for dust control to switch off frequently. We had as a result, a lot of emissions and complaints escalated.
Kunzekweguta said the company was using a modern technology called the electrostatic precipitation (ESP) for dust collection. He explained what transpired:
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The electronics for ESP are very sensitive for voltage variation. During this period, a destabilisation of power was experienced, causing the emissions.
Power quality like voltage dips, voltage swell and voltage sags cause it to switch off. Once it stops, it stops the process of dust collection. This is when we have very thick emissions.
From an operational side, we can have high carbon dioxide levels initiating the ESP to switch off as a protection against explosion.
