Before taking part in the Cleaner Production Component, due to poor equipment, the company had to face many environmental problems such as toxic exhausted fumes from furnace and material dryer system and a large amount of dusts eliminated to the environment.

To produce one tonne of cement, the material dryer system emits 13kg of wastes, with the stage of grinding and transporting material eliminating 5kg of stone dust, furnaces 10kg of dusts and exhausted fumes, material metering stage 1.5kg of clinker dusts and packing stage 1.5kg of cement. Wastes that contain a large amount of materials cause wastage and the environmental pollution.

Aware of the situation, the Luu Xa Cement Factory has focused on application of cleaner production methods. In 2002, the first methods were proposed. Due to lack of experiences in this field, the factory did not obtained many remarkable achievements. In 2007, receiving supports from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Cleaner Production Center, the factory took part in the Cleaner Production Component. Since then, a number of cleaner production methods have been applied. For example, the company emitted a large amount of dusts to the environment. There are many reasons for this situation. The covers that prevent materials and cement from leaking out are torn. Workers' skill is not high. In addition, clinker is poured on the ground, and then scooped up on vans. Thus, they wasted a large amount of materials. Some methods were applied to solve this wastage. Torn covers have been replaced or repaired. Clinker is poured directly to vans. Wasted materials are withdrawn. Thanks to these methods, dusts emitted to the environment are remarkably reduced.

Before taking part in the Cleaner Production Component, the factory often had technical problems, so furnaces often had to stop running suddenly. Workers were not aware of energy saving, so they often let machines run idle. Energy conservation lighting system was not used. Therefore the factory consumed a huge amount of electricity. Many methods to reduce electricity consumption were applied. Inverters have been installed for suitable conveyor belts. Compact lamps have been used. In addition, the factory has focused on improving workers' awareness of energy conservation. These methods cost VND245 million. With these methods, the factory saves VND390 million on electricity annually.

In terms of coal consumption, the factory wasted 45 tonnes of coal because workers did not know how to run furnace properly. They provided too much or too dry coal for furnaces and often opened furnace doors. Therefore, the factory has applied some methods like using suitable amount of coal with proper moisture to burn furnaces and avoiding opening furnace doors. Thanks to these methods, the factory saves VND40 million spent on coal annually.

Following success of simple methods, the factory has invested in methods that require large capital. For example, the factory knows that the open jaw crusher system and the lack of dust collector are the main reasons for a large amount of dust emitted to the environment. Therefore, the open jaw crusher system has been replaced with closed system and a dust collector has been installed. Thanks to the new system, the amount of dust in the air has been decreased. Dusts are withdrawn and recycled. The new system which costs VND1.3 billion helps the factory save VND27.6 million annually. In addition, the factory’s exhausted fumes meet the TCVN5939:2005 standard.

In addition, before taking part in the Cleaner Production Component, the factory used old material dryer system that produced low capacity. Some methods to raise the material dryer capacity have been applied. An automated temperature controller of the air supplied for the dryer system has been applied. The dryer system has been improved to raise heat exchange capacity. Gas pipe and dryers have been covered with a heat isolating layer to reduce heat leaking out. A dust collector has been installed. These methods cost VND1.513 billion. Every year, the factory saves VND167.4 million thanks to recycling withdrawn materials. In addition, these methods help the company reduce 48 tonnes of dusts eliminated to the environment and 55,000cu.m of water annually.

Thanks to effective energy conservation methods, the Luu Xa Cement Factory has become one of typical businesses in the field of cleaner production in Thai Nguyen Province./.