Hanson UK take steps towards 2020 sustainability targets
2014 performance and sustainability report highlights progress being made and work still to be done
DEVELOPMENT of a solar farm at Ketton cement works in Rutland is just one of the major initiatives highlighted in Hanson UK’s 2014 performance and sustainability report.
The report covers five overarching themes for the calendar year 2013 – people; carbon; water and biodiversity; waste and raw materials; and systems – and sets out the company’s 2020 targets for each of these areas.
Investment in the 8MW solar farm at Ketton is part of Hanson’s action plan to increase the use of renewable energy to achieve their 2020 goal of cutting carbon emissions by 10% per tonne of product (based on 2010 baseline).
Built on 55 acres adjacent to the limestone quarry which supplies raw material to the cement works, the 38,500 solar modules (pictured) will generate around 10% of the plant’s annual electricity consumption.
A similar installation is being planned for the company’s Chipping Sodbury Quarry in South Gloucestershire.
The report also details how waste to landfill has been cut by more than 35.5% in the year – equivalent to more than 4,000 tonnes.
The consolidation of waste disposal contracts, introduction of enhanced recycling systems and increased use of cement bypass dust as an agricultural land improver, have all contributed to this significant step towards Hanson’s 2020 target of reducing non-process waste to landfill by 85%.
Further highlights of the report include: employee lost-time injury frequency down 26%; environmental complaints reduced by 50%; mains water use per tonne of product down by 12.6%; and cement bypass dust diverted from landfill 100%.
Paul Lacey, Hanson UK’s head of sustainability, said: ‘We still have a lot of work to do to achieve our 2020 targets, particularly those relating to energy and CO2. Employee engagement and involvement is critical and we will continue to promote the principles of working sustainably and embed them into everything we do.’
