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Creating added value Pierre Deleplanque's inteview p.8 Rending the conditions safest around us p.10 Mobilization for the environment p.18 LAVA Responding assertively to challenges p.34 Index 04 Health & Safety 08 Pierre Deleplanque's interview, CEO 10 Rending the conditions safest around us 18 Mobilization for the environment 26 Creating added value 34 LAVA: Responding assertively to challenges 38 Highlights 43 Health & Safety month This Magazino issue is of a… local nature. It is dedicated to the actions un- dertaken by communities around our sites and highlights our involvement therein. It opens the floor to not only our people but, first and foremost, our stakeholders, in order to illustrate their initiatives and programs aimed at strengthening local development or enhancement of local infrastruc- tures and conditions. We are hosting the views of our BUs and local organisations on programs, such as awareness-raising about road safety and safety at sea; the opin- ions and actions of fire protection and environment voluntary teams; and equally the input of educational/training organisations on programs de- ployed with the support of our company. Our Managing Director, Pierre Deleplanque, talks about our role as a corporate citizen, explaining the vision and policy on contributing to local development. This issue also presents synergies with members of the academic com- munity and scientists in initiatives that generate added value in the areas Published by the HERACLES Communication where we operate: optimization of the biomass harvesting from farms in Department Thessaly; a study on the utilization of the Evripos channel current potential Tel.: +30 210 289 8548, Fax: +30 210 289 8251 in Evia; a collaboration between LAVA and the Agricultural University of MANAGING EDITOR Athens in a study on the use of pumice stone in water cultures and the Angelica Patrouba promotion of good farming practices. EDITOR Elia Kolla Enjoy your reading! Artwork adaptation 4 reasons L.T.D. Photos: Media Library HERACLES Media Library Lafarge PAGE 2 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 OUR ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE A Safety Day was organized by the Cemen- tia Executive Committee on 13 and 14 Octo- ber at the Milaki plant. The event was attended by all 9 ExCom members, who participated in activities regarding Health & Safety Standards. Visitors said that they were excited by the ob- servation of health and safety standards across the plant facilities and contribution of the plant's Safety Department to the activities. Company employees often take part in blood donation events regularly organized in most of our sites. Awareness-raising and active involvement empower them to support blood banks, which have been created to meet employees' needs in blood. Κonstantinos Cholevas, Supply Chain & IT • 68 employees from Volos Plant partici- General Manager, participated in the 14th pated in the voluntary blood donation event Annual Logistics Conference held at Zappeion held on 7 October at the Volos plant reinforc- Hall on 19 & 20 November 2010, where he ing the blood bank that has been operating discussed "Towards Supply Chain Excellence" . at the plant for a long time. Mr. Holevas talked about the role of the supply chain in a company, its strategy and goals, • Head Office employees donated 20 blood placing emphasis on green transports and the Heracles sponsored a concert organized by bags on the initiative of the ENOSI union. benefits entailed, such as reduced CO2 emis- the Union of Milaki plant. It was a concert of sions by 10,000 tons per year. the artist Loudovikos ton Anogion held in the • 109 employees and family members re- yard of St. George's Church in Aliveri. sponded to the call of the Milaki plant union and donated blood to their blood bank. • On the initiative of the Health & Safety Committee of Halkis plant and in collabora- tion with the Halkis Hospital Blood centre, a voluntary blood donation session was held, by means of a mobile blood donation unit which collected 51 blood bags in total. It is worth noting that the plant employees' Health & Safety Committee has maintained a Blood Bank over the past two years and helped several colleagues or direct relatives. A presentation on Safe Maintenance Op- It currently has a stock of 145 blood bags. erations as a tool of behaviour improvement Colleagues from Thessaloniki Terminal was the contribution of Vassilis Kambanis, Main- paid a visit to Volos Plant on Saturday 16 • Yet another blood donation initiative tenance Manager at Halkis plant, to the seminar October 2010. was organized at the Rio Terminal with organized biannually by the European Agency the involvement of employees and contrac- for Health and Safety at Work. It is the largest tor silo-truck drivers. Europe-wide campaign in the field of occu- pational health and safety joined by over 30 countries. The 2010- 11 campaign is dedicated to safe maintenance and its core slogan is "Safe and Healthy Workplaces – Good for You.. Good for Business." 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 3 HEALTH & SAFETY Presenting a contractor safety standard Meetings were held under the slogan "Co- included staff from the H&S, Logistics, Sales Divi- operating for Safety", to present the con- sions, as well as staff from all plants. tractor safety standard. Among the attendees were contractors, who undertook to apply and observe the safety standard. Other participants A comprehensive plan for "Safe Ports" The start-up meeting of the "Safe Ports" and deadlines for all those participating in organ- program was conducted at the Head Office izing the project. The second meeting was held in September, and marked the completion of in Volos plant in which the team confirmed the phase 1 of the project, and the official com- deliverables of Phase II of the project and agreed mencement of the planning and implementa- to hold joint open team meetings with our sup- tion phase. The main purpose of the meeting pliers in order to ensure the full enforcement of was to present the objectives and deliverables the new policies and procedures. of the planning and implementation phase, the organizational structure and the project plan, to the project team and to all participants. Moreo- ver, there was a breakdown of specific actions PAGE 4 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 MILAKI PLANT Heracles participates in the Safety in practice 1st Panellenic Congress for the Health & Safety at Work Heracles was the Golden Sponsor of tors' Safety Management", the "Ex- the 1st Panellenic Congress in the emplary Safe Maintenance Works". Health Safety at Work which took Printed material with the values and the place on 29 & 30 November in Athens. policies of the company was also available Heracles participated with four presenta- for the visitors. tions in the congress on "the preven- tion". G. Konstantinou, occupational doctor presented "Medical protocols for cement industry employees" and With a view to minimizing and eliminating un- other representatives of the company safe behaviours, the Milaki plant has prepared a talked about the "Employee's Health new program entitled "Safety in practice". The start- & Safety Committee", the "Contrac- up meeting took place on September 22 and 24, with the participation of 69 plant officers who, as team leaders, committed to contribute to the im- provement of H&S. The program mainly aimed at identifying unsafe behaviours using examples from the previous two years, seeking ways to address them, and regulating the way middle management approaches such behaviours. Partners in Safety - Safe Bagged Cement Deliveries In the context of the company's tective equipment, safe circulation of ve- commitment to provide a safe and hicles and cargo security will contribute healthy working environment for to the protection of drivers from the risks our employees and our partners and directly linked to their work. In the first to conduct our activities safely, the new training, the employees in the dispatch program "Partners in Safety - Safe bagged and loading in Volos learned about the cement deliveries'' was inaugurated. The main axes of the program and their im- Sponsor of the program, George Benos, plementation. Sales & Marketing General Manager un- derlines that "the whole process from the production of the cement to its delivery must be safe, while the pro- tection of our customers and their partners entering our sites should be our first priority". The three main safety axes, namely use of personal pro- 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 5 HEALTH & SAFETY VOLOS PLANT Volos plant participates in the European Campaign for Safety and Health at Work 2010-2011 Volos plant will enter the European Best • Continuous monitoring, implementation Practice Awards for Safe and Healthy checks and corrective actions Workplaces, organized in the context of the European Campaign, with its "Program for Ms Panayiota Apergi, Health & Safety Manager Exemplary Safe Maintenance" and with the in Volos Plant presented the program during motto of "Safe and Healthy Workplaces. Ben- the Meeting of the National Information efits for you personally. Benefits for all enter- Network, held in Volos on Friday September prises." This is a pilot program for exemplary, 24th, and during the Main Information and in terms of safety, performance of all main- Awareness Meeting, organized in Athens on tenance work in a manner that will constitute Tuesday October 26th, in the context of the Eu- the standard for any subsequent maintenance ropean Campaign on Safe Maintenance 2010- work. This program, which was in effect dur- 2011, under the auspices of the Ministry of Em- ing the Overhaul of Rotary Kiln no 1 in April ployment and Social Insurance. – May, is a structured and comprehensive ap- proach of safe maintenance, pivoting on 3 axes: • Mobilization and delegation of safety respon- sibilities to supervisors, and securing safety commitments from all persons that worked in the maintenance area • Implementation of safety standards and good practices in every individual mainte- nance work HALKIS PLANT Participation in the International ESREL Conference 2010 Heracles was represented in the list of Halkis plant. The elaboration and implementation speakers of the "European Safety & Reliabil- of the HAZOP study was the work of a team of ity Conference" held in Rhodes in September, company staff, along with the Health & Safety by Mr Giorgos Maragos, Evia Local Development Division and an outside consultant. Project Manager. The HAZOP methodology sys- ESREL is a European initiative that brings togeth- tematically uses a combination of keywords and er and merges many national conferences into operational parameters, with a view to defining one major annual event under the auspices of all possible deviations that could lead to risks for the ESRA (European Safety & Reliability Associa- the safety or smooth plant operation. It was the tion). first time that this methodology was ever imple- ESREL conferences are a forum for presentation mented in a cement plant, and proved very ef- and discussion of scientific and technical papers ficient in identifying risks and appropriate meas- on the theory and case-studies covering safety, ures, as well as in enhancing the plant's safety reliability and risk-based methods as well as their culture. application in a wide range of industrial and gov- The article was entitled "ΗΑΖΟP Study for Kiln ernmental sectors. Start-up Process of a Cement Production Plant" and presented an analysis of the risks and opera- tions during the start-up of a rotary kiln at the PAGE 6 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 Road transportation Safety Alert days take place in the three plants and the terminals Repetitive meetings for the safe driving were organized with our silotruck drivers. Emphasis HEAD OFFICE was also given to using the PPE and especially the safety glasses. There was also a discussion on enhancement of "unsafe condition reports" and A surprise road safety event the usage of the booklet, underling how these reports will help us all improve our safety stand- recognised by Lafarge! ards. The message was clear: small to medium Volunteers among the Head Office staff a row, HERACLES was included in the 2010 scale incidents could statistically lead to a planned a surprise for their fellow colleagues Lafarge H&S Month Review, following last serious accident, unless we all take some and visitors, and upon entering the parking area, year's first inspection, where the company immediate actions and enhance our efforts informed them on safe driving and their driving excelled in the "Risk Assessment" stand- on Safety. behaviour in the parking area. This event was ard. The H & S Month Review features the initiated by the Safety Division with the active Group's top 50 units in terms of best prac- participation and creative ideas of 15 volunteers tices during the Health & Safety Month. – colleagues from all Head Office divisions, who contributed their enthusiasm to the event's suc- cess. Any person entering the parking area re- ceived material with the motto "I think, assess, drive…safely", with instructions on correct road behaviour, such as seat belts, speed limits, abid- ing by the traffic sings and the Traffic Code, per- forming the necessary checks on the car, as well as how to move about in the company's parking area, observing the speed limit, yielding priority to pedestrians etc. This initiative received the recognition and acclaim of Lafarge. For the second year in 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 7 INTERVIEW PIERRE DELEPLANQUE CEO Pierre Deleplanque' s interview Contributing to building a better world for our communi- ties is a key commitment of Lafarge. The starting point is in the way we need to conduct our business operations: ensuring a healthy and safe workplace for our people, protecting the environment and the con- servation of natural resources, creating economic growth and progress. It also requires that we are acting as responsi- ble members of our communities, says Pierre Deleplanque, Heracles CEO, and explains what community relations mean to him. Our company has activities throughout the Greek territory, and is a neighbor to many different communities. How do you perceive the role of the company to be a good neighbor in the areas where it operates? To me, the most important thing is that all of us in Heracles fully under- stand that we operate inside a society, not just inside the company. The communities that surround our local sites are more than neighbors; they are our employee base, potential customers, and partners in an effort to create together economic growth and value for the area. It is very important for us to create a true dialog listen to eachother un- derstand the community's needs and take account of the messages we re- ceive daily. Through continuous communication and dialogue, we want to define the goals and to organize activities and programs that are relevant to the communities's own values and expectations. We will be a 'good neighbor' only when we demonstrate by facts that we really care, trying to improve our relations and contributing to the progress and prosperity of the local community. PAGE 8 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 Which way you consider as most effective in receiving messages «We will be a 'good neighbor' only when we demon- and discovering the needs of the local community? strate by facts that we really care, trying to improve Our employees, the people who work in all the company's sites are an in- tegral part of the local community. They are the best bridge we can have, our relations and contributing to the progress and helping us evolve as the local community evolves. But this alone cannot prosperity of the local community.» serve our aim for an open, direct and permanent dialog with the com- munity. We therefore create opportunities so that our neighbors can get to know our plants, terminals and quarries and hence have a personal and How can the corporate programs contribute to the wellbeing of a comprehensive understanding of how we operate. To make sure that our community? neighbors get to know first hand our processes, our policies for manag- Through the programs we organize, we aim at meeting the needs and add ing our impacts as well as our principles and values, we have set a specific value to the local development. Take for example the wide ranging road target that all our sites organize Open Days at least once a year. They in- safety campaign organized by our Halkis site. It is in keeping with our com- vite their neighbors and the broader community representatives of local mitment to Health & Safety as a company value and it makes good use of authorities, institutions, schools, to visit the site, to pose questions, learn our know-how and experience, while it brings together experts, the com- about the result of our efforts in health & safety and see for themselves petent authorities, and members of the local community for addressing the progress in our environmental performance. Going one step further, one of the major issues of the area, since traffic accidents in Evoia are our sites are encouraged to form local consultation committees, which is among the highest in Greece. Or PRAKSI, as well: a fund created to help the in the most direct way to exchange opinions and suggestions on a regular region recover from natural disasters, has significantly contributed in the basis. improvement of local infrastructure through product, equipment, building materials and financial support. It has also succeeded in adding value to the local initiatives: The local volunteers in patrol and firefighting, are sup- «To me, the most important thing is that all of us in ported by the program in getting equipment and for the organization of Heracles fully understand that we operate inside a so- an annual training by the Fire-fighting Service. To me these initiatives, but ciety, not just inside the company. The communities that also others in all our sites, that put our know-how and resources next to the local efforts so as to maximize the result, are proof that our presence surround our local sites are more than neighbors; they helps build something positive, with lasting benefit to the community. are our employee base, potential customers, and part- ners in an effort to create together economic growth If you were in a discussion with someone from the local commu- nity, what opinion would you expect them to have of our group? and value for the area.» This is a discussion I pursue whenever I meet people of the community… but it is also a question I ask to myself every time we take an initiative at any of our sites. "How this is likely to make people think about us?" What I would like as a CEO, but also as an employee of this company, would be for him/her to consider Heracles not just as a business; but as a neighbor with whom they feel comfortable to speak out and express their views aiming at a better and more effective co-existence, knowing that from our side we aim to have a relationship funded on mutual respect. I would wish them to have seen our daily effort to progress and become better and to contribute to the community through our knowledge, our people and our resources, despite the economic challenges. I would be delighted to hear that the company has a "face" which is close to the needs and concerns of local communities… 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 9 RENDING THE CONDITIONS SAFEST AROUND US HALKIS PLANT Safe Driving Program for the elderly Rending the conditions safest around us Our commitment to Health & Safety is also reflected in communities as a large part of our knowledge, resources and actions is dedicated to initiatives on public health and safety. All our BUs deploy activities and integrated projects and include them in their actions based on the community's needs and expectations. HALKIS PLANT Road Safety, a big request for the town O ne of the top projects recently deployed was the Road Safety Program at Halkis Plant. As remarked by Giorgos Maragos, Evia Local De- Some of the groups selected to participate in Health & Safety actions involved children and elderly citizens. Children were a conscious velopment Project Manager, "Our plant chose to choice of the Halkis plant, as their early educa- support an integrated project on road safety, as tion can help them acquire the right mind-set as according to official data it is the worst safety future citizens. The elderly were an equally sig- problem of this area and prefecture. The plant nificant group of active citizens for us; they are also undertook to support actions targeted to vulnerable with regard to health and road safety special audiences, because supporting vulner- issues, thus we decided to include them in our able groups is of the essence to us. projects. The implementation of the program PAGE 10 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 Konstantinos Argyris Chief of Traffic Police in Halkis Do you think that road safety programs help raise the awareness of citizens? Road accidents are mostly caused by igno- rance of road safety rules, lack of road safety education, contempt of or indifference for specific rules. We in the Traffic Police believe that such programs are immensely helpful «We believe that the promotion for citizens' awareness-raising and change in of road safety issues in systematic their attitude. manner, when targeted to chil- Some of the Heracles road safety dren, can contribute decisively to projects are targeted to children or eld- a successful management of these erly people. How would you comment issues or problems.» on these activities? We believe that the promotion of road safe- ty issues in systematic manner, when tar- geted to children, can contribute decisively HALKIS to a successful management of these issues Safe Driving Awareness Campaign or problems. Adults are a challenging tar- get group as they have already entrenched views which are difficult to change. What are your expectations from such community interventions? We hope and expect that long-standing and persistent efforts will eventually help young people to acquire road safety education thus contributing to the decrease in road accidents at all levels. involved other groups, too, such as the Associa- tion of Retired Colleagues, which has manifest- ed ongoing interest in keeping in contact and working with the plant". Local authorities' and organisations' representa- tives, with whom we have worked on various occasions, talk about the implemented projects and their experience from collaborating with the company. 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 11 RENDING THE CONDITIONS SAFEST AROUND US "Ιt's your life" Day of Safety on Two Wheels "It's your life! Day of Safety on Two Wheels" How was the program accepted by local was the name of the event organized at people? the Halkis Plant under the auspices of the I think that young people welcomed all the ac- Prefectural Government of Evia with the tions that have been taken by the Halkis Plant support of the Motorcycle Sports Club of as well as the overall approach to road safety Halkis. The event focused on the safety of issues. Although they were initially startled -be- motorcycle and bicycle riders. We asked of cause we were not used to such initiatives being the Motorcycle Sports Club members, Tas- taken by the company, and young people are sos Athinaios, about his cooperation with generally wary of precepts and advice by older the company and the expectations of the people, they finally joined the program quite ac- Club. tively and enjoyed all the activities (training, trial demonstration, graffiti, etc.) What do you think of Heracles' choice to organize a program target to young Do you think that the public would re- ΤASSOS ATHINEOS people? spond to similar follow-up actions? Member of Motorcycle Heracles' decision to organize this program on In my opinion, as I already mentioned, there was "safety on 2 wheels" mainly for young people, a good approach; that's why I think there should Sports Club of Halkis as well as the follow-up actions, such as assist- be follow-up to the road safety program, and ing in the reconstruction and operation of the new actions be taken. Your company can do a motor race track, are undoubtedly very posi- lot for the Halkis area, because it has the means, tive. The company took us by surprise when it power, facilities, know-how and, most of all, the opened up to the community and approached will to offer. Thank you very much for your offer the local young people through these actions. so far; we look forward to your next road safety For many years, young people among others, program for our youth. As local motor cyclists, saw the Halkis plant as a large industrial area at members of Motorcycle Sports Club and citizens INFO the entrance of their city, which much as it con- we will be on your side and contribute to your Motorcycle Sports Club of Halkis tributed to the local economy, it seemed very effort in every way. impersonal, distant or even unfriendly to local http:amlexalkidas.blogspot.com citizens who had no direct business relationship firstname.lastname@example.com with it. PAGE 12 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 HERACLES trains school traffic wardens As follow-up to the road safety awareness raising programs, the Halkis plant organized the second part of the campaign "I move safely in my city". The new program focused on the training of school traffic wardens in the equipment, applicable provisions of the law and Road Safety Code, best I move practices of traffic management and children's safe crossing, and the ap- propriate school infrastructure in order to ensure the necessary safety safely conditions. in my city The training was held on 28 September at the Halkis plant by Konstantinos Koukouvinos, Police Captain of the Halkis Traffic Police Department, and Ioanna Kalatheri, Responsible for Health Education of the Primary Educa- On 11 June, the second training event tion Directorate of Evia. The event was introduced and welcomed by the under phase I of the road safety program Chief of the Halkis Traffic Police, the Director of the Primary Education Directorate of Evia and Stratis Zaharis, Halkis plant manager. was held. This training was about the safe- ty of elderly pedestrians. Approximately There were approx. 25 participants in the program, who will be ready to 60 people participated and were given undertake traffic warden duties for the schools of their city in the school information and principal instructions re- year. garding their road safety. The first train- ing event had focused on the road behav- iour of elderly drivers and was held in the framework of the Safety Day on 4 June. These training seminars are delivered by expert traffic engineers and organized in collaboration with the Association of Re- tired Employees of Evia. 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 13 RENDING THE CONDITIONS SAFEST AROUND US Awareness-raising programs for safety at sea In addition to road safety, training programs first aid and communication with the Coast organized by Halkis plant concerned safety at Guard command centre; mobilization of forces sea, too. One of the trainings was a sea rescue and resources and, finally, transfer of "the vic- exercise for athletes and trainers of the Halkis tim" to the hospital. Sailing Club. Yiannis Ritsonis, member of the Halkis Sailing Club, talks about the training pro- Do you think that First Aid training pro- gram which was warmly welcomed by the pub- grams for sea sportsmen are deficient in lic. our area? Yes, that's why doing this activity with you What did the training include? was very important. Yet we should not refrain The training concerned instructions for the res- ourselves to the sea. Being a spontaneous and cue of a person at sea and first aid lessons in- highly frivolous people, we are careless of simple cluding real CRP and on a dummy. Then, there practices, such as attending courses for first aid, YANNIS RITSONIS was an exercise involving the retrieval of an earthquake and other natural disasters. Member of Halkis Sailing injured and unconscious athlete from the sea; Club PAGE 14 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 HALKIS Training of the athlets and the coaches of the Halkis Sailing Club HALKIS Training on rescue of a young athlet by Halkis Sailing Club You recently organized voluntary coasts How fruitful and efficient can the co- cleaning activity with Halkis plant. What operation between an association and a was your experience, and how important company be in developing environmental are voluntary environmental activities for activities? the Prefecture of Evia? An association, such as the Halkis Sailing Club, The volume of litter found on our coasts is in- can develop considerable environmental ac- credible, indicating the lack of broader envi- tivities in collaboration with a company such as ronmental education and a rather thoughtless Heracles, which can provide technical support attitude. Therefore, and given the lack of any and training through systematic corporate social structured government care and environmental responsibility programs. education, voluntary action is a one-way. INFO Halkis Sailing Club http://www.halkidasailing.gr 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 15 RENDING THE CONDITIONS SAFEST AROUND US HALKIS Lifeguargds seminars for employees children Health & Safety Programmes On the initiative of the Halkis plant, pro- Are you aware of how many participants fessional lifeguard courses were organised worked as lifeguards during summer? for the children of Halkis and Milaki plants' Six of the people who expressed interest were employees in collaboration with the Hellen- hired, although the recruitment period was al- ic Rescue and Survival Centre. Niovi Sahin- ready over at the time of the courses. Lifeguard ian, member of the Centre, talks about the training courses are attended by not only Army, knowledge delivered by the courses and Special Forces and Fire Service personnel but the benefits of the participants. also civilians who wish to lean rescue techniques to use them –if necessary- in any dangerous inci- What knowledge did the participants dent that might occur in their intimate environ- acquire from the courses you delivered in ment. The majority of the Heracles' participants collaboration with Heracles? were interested in learning rescue techniques HALKIS Upon completion of the lessons, children ob- for personal reasons. We should also stress that Seminar on rescue of a young athlet by Halkis tained a professional assistant lifeguard's di- numerous incidents have been handled by citi- Sailing Club ploma. Participants acquired skills that will help zens who had the will to obtain even elementary them to come in rescue in the water, without knowledge and skills about rescue in water. endangering themselves. Some of the techni- cal knowledge included searching, approaching or repulsing, immobilizing, towing and transfer- ring a victim, providing first aid, behaviour in a INFO shipwreck, basic meteorological knowledge and Hellenic Rescue and Survival Centre some important information about working sta- http://www.ekethade.gr tus. PAGE 16 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 MILAKI PLANT Collaboration with the Aliveri Sailing Club for the Safety at Sea A program on safety at sea was also de- believe that one of our virtues is our unfailing ployed by the Milaki plant in collaboration passion for everything we do and our love for with the Aliveri Sailing Club. According to our Club. Dimitris Argyris, member of the Club, the We believe that Heracles will continue to support cooperation was founded on honesty and the entire range of our activities, and a with a mutual effort, and must have a follow-up. good 2011 plan we will implement actions for people, the environment and safety. We are What are the voluntary actions you have worth this support and prove it every day. It is no undertaken in collaboration with the accident that in only six years we have managed Milaki plant? to have the most extensive and self-maintained Since its inception, the Aliveri Sailing Club has equipment; or that we have so many sponsors been working closely with the Milaki plant. Since in support of our work; or that we have devel- 2006 we have deployed numerous activities oped the largest racing team -12 optimists, to which culminated in the 2009 – 2010 period. become 16 and 4 lasers to become τα 6- in Cen- In 2009 there was a very well organized action tral Greece. week held a month prior to the end of the school year. The Aliveri Sailing Club, sponsored solely by DIMITROS ARGIRIS the Milaki plant, proceeded with the cleaning President of Aliveri Sailing Club of the coast and beach at Karavos, Aliveri, and underwater cleaning of the Karavos port by four divers. Moreover, the largest and best lifeguard seminar –including theory in classroom and prac- tice at sea- ever organized in Greece was offered to 600 pupils from all primary schools of Munici- pality of Tamynea. In 2010, Heracles took part, as cosponsor with 4 other sponsors, in the purchase of a pickup truck (4-door NISSAN D40) which is used by our Sail- ing Club for the safe transport of our athletes to and from their training sessions held in Karavos, Aliveri, and race events, and for the safe trans- port of vessels. Moreover, the Aliveri Sailing Club assigned the use of the truck to the Aliveri Fire Department and the Municipality of Tamynea during emergency periods. It is worth noting that the Fire Service gladly welcomed this offer of ours and used the vehicle several times in fire incidents so far. Do you think that your collaboration with the plant can be continued? The collaboration between the plant and the Aliveri Sailing Club has been in place for 6 con- INFO secutive years and relies on honesty and hard Aliveri Sailing Club work. It is a mother-child relationship, where the child always tries for the best; because we want www.ioaliveriou.gr to be the best in everything we do our best. We email@example.com 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 17 ΕΥΑΙΣΘΗΤΟΠΟΙΗΣΗ ΚΑΙ ΚΙΝΗΤΟΠΟΙΗΣΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΟ ΠΕΡΙΒΑΛΛΟΝ VOLOS PLANT De-pollution Exercise In the framework of this year's World Environment Day on June 30, the Volos plant organized, in collaboration with the central Coast Guard, a de-pollution exercise at the plant's port facilities. According to the ex- ercise scenario, there was oil leak during the bunkering of the Tugboat Odysseus. A barrier was rapidly deployed to contain the spill and skim- mers were used to immediately cleanup contamination. The exercise, which lasted approx. 1 hour, was joined by 8 Coast Guard personnel, 15 members of the volunteer team, 28 Heracles employees, 12 contractor THEODOROS KLIARIS employees and 6 representatives of local media. Captain. Harbour Master The harbour master, Captain Theodoros Kliaris talks about the exercise and the role of his team. What were the prerequisites for the success of the exercise? The purpose of this exercise was to assess the extent to which employees are familiar with and trained in the use of the equipment available at the site facili- ties, the response time in the event of an incident within the facilities and the compatibility of the site's plan with the Coast Guard plan. PAGE 18 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 VASSILIS ILIOPOULOS Vice President of Special Forces Club of Magnissia An equally important part in the de-pollution exercise was played by the Volunteer Special Forces Club of Magnissia. Vassilis Iliopou- los, Vice-president of the Volunteer Special Forces Club of Magnis- sia gives an account of his impressions. What are your impressions from this exercise? We acquired very positive experience and knowledge from the collabora- tion of Special Forces Club members with the Volos plant during the de- pollution exercise. Both our older volunteers, who had taken part in previ- ous exercises at local oil facilities, and new ones had the opportunity enrich their knowledge and be acquainted with new materials and their use. They learnt how to move in a controlled space following specific safety rules and work smoothly with the plant staff. How important are volunteer environmental actions for the area in your opinion? We consider that the environmental activities of volunteer teams are very significant both at sea (de-pollution exercises, coast and sea-bottom clean- up, etc.), and on the ground (forest protection, firefighting, forest and stream cleanup, reforestation, etc.). This is why a large part of the actions taken by the Special Forces Club members are in this field. How would you characterize your collaboration with Heracles? Every form of collaboration is efficient, even more so when a company like yours opens up for collaboration with volunteers. I believe that there is a What is the role of volunteer environment teams? lot to give to and take from such collaboration both for the company and Volunteer teams assist the work of duty organizations, so that volunteers. We hope that we will continue to work together and wish we will only handle critical situations in exercises and through prevention. they may be successful in critical situations. The specialization and training of volunteer organizations in specific areas makes their help even more significant, as no time needs to be wast- ed in informing them when an incident occurs. Additionally, volunteer environment actions demonstrate sensitivity, aware- ness and respect for the environment of the area where a site or organization operate. INFO How fruitful can collaboration between a state body Special Forces Club of Magnissia and a company be in developing environmental ac- http://edmagnisias.blogspot.com tions? Our Service deems that the collaboration between local au- thorities and state bodies with company sites is imperative, as useful conclusions can be drawn for the future and more efficient management of pollution incidents through the ex- change of views and stock-taking of weaknesses. Finally, we would like to let you know that our Service will al- ways be supportive of your efforts to improve and train your staff in the management of pollution incidents. 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 19 ΜOBILIZATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT Support of educational programs in the prefecture of Evia Environmental, Health and Cultural Education are key areas of con- temporary school learning; this is why developing programs for schools in the areas where we operate is one of our company's long-standing practices. In addition to training programs, our sites often host school educational visits, during which children are given tours and informed about our production process, priorities and objectives. I n the framework of the PRAKSI program and in collaboration with the Secondary Education Directorate of the prefecture gram; the subjects are varied and include drug prevention and health in schools, earthquake protection, safe internet use, intercultural dia- of Evia, seminars are often organized for local logue skills, etc. Moreover, the company spon- pupils and teachers Tree-planting activities have sors cultural training seminars. In April 2010, a been organized in affected areas on numerous Pupil Art Expression and Creation Week, includ- occasions with the participation of students ing an Art Exhibition, was organised with aid and environmental teams, while teachers have of Heracles wherein theatre, music and dance visited a recycling plant and attended environ- groups of school pupils participated. mental education seminars with the support of our company. Similarly, environmental educa- The above actions in the prefecture of Evia have tion and career orientation seminars are held for come true thanks to the tireless efforts of Thalia the implementation of appropriate programs in Kalambaliki, Responsible for Environmental schools. Regarding health education, one-day Education, Magdalini Kalatheri, Responsible for seminars and experiential course are held for Health Education, and Konstantina Papaioan- teachers with the support of the PRAKSI pro- nou, Responsible for Cultural Affairs at the Pri- PAGE 20 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 mary Education Directorate of the prefecture of of environmental education programs. For opti- Evia. mized use, a pilot project with the same name Their aim is to raise the awareness, inform and has planned for the 2010-11 school year, which educate primary and nursery school teachers, will include suggested activities and actions for and establish experiential approach and initia- pupils and teachers. tive-taking among pupils. How many children and teachers partici- Your collaboration with Heracles concerns pate in the program? a series of educational programs deployed The game has been presented to over 200 in the broader area of Evia. What does teachers during a seminar in May 2010 and dur- specifically it include? ing the Children's Fair of the Primary Education During the 2009-2010 school year, the Primary Directorate of Evia Prefecture. Moreover, it has Education Directorate of the Evia Prefecture been tested in the form of an Eco-Quiz to more organized and implemented a multitude of ac- than 500 children. tivities with varied content for teachers, such as material production and publication, expe- Are teachers and children responding riential activities for children and purchase of well? equipment thanks to the highly successful co- The first assessments of teachers have been operation with Heracles, in the framework of the positive all in all, and there has also been posi- PRAKSI program. tive response from children. What would say are the key chal- Apart from Little Ecologists, have any lenges of educational program for other major actions been implemented in primary school children? the framework of educational programs The challenge of Environmental, Cultural and supported by our company? Health Education programs is to shape active Educational activities with varied content were citizens through contemporary, experiential implemented during the 2009-2010 school educational processes that promote autonomy, year. We should note the exceptionally suc- active participation, respect for people and na- cessful CHILDREN'S FAIR, an activity week held ture, creativity, expression of feelings, commu- in Halkis from 8 to 11 June 2010 with the sup- nication and self-learning. This knowledgeable port of the Municipality of Halkis, Municipal Wel- and informed future citizen will undertake ac- fare Enterprise of Halkis (DHKEX) and numerous tions and intervene, individually and collectively, other organisations. During the CHILDREN'S FAIR in the improvement of life quality. approximately 2,000 children and 100 teachers participated in seven different activity pavil- In the framework of educational pro- ions (workshops, games). The purpose was for grams, an environmentally educational children to bid farewell to the school year with game was developed, "Little Ecologists". educational games, active involvement and in a What is the purpose of this game? joyful atmosphere. Little Ecologists is an environmental awareness- raising game for school children. With the motto "join the group" it aims at entertaining children, but also makes them think about everyday hab- its and their impact on preserving the equilibri- um between people and the environment. With the aid of 6 Little Ecologists, children discover the seven joyful groups in the environment (in- sects, transports, recycling, energy, consump- tion, water, ecocitizens), while playing. The game familiarizes children with notions such as decrease, repair, re-use, saving, that are integral to environmentally responsible behaviour. What will the game follow-up be? The game is a tool for children's awareness- raising. It is a convenient material that can lead to varied activities and actions in the framework 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 21 ΜOBILIZATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT HALKIS PLANT Vazoume prasino sto ergostasio "V azoume prasino sto ergostasio" - "We put green to the plant" is a program developed at Halkis plant which includes a series of environ- mental actions for the development and the re- generation of extensive green areas at the plant. In the framework of the program, 120 stu- dents from four schools' environmental groups of Halkis visited the plant and participated ac- tively in the completion of planting of the path with botanist and environmental interest. The path includes 61 different species, while the species planted lately were selected on the basis of nationality, their contribution to the ecologi- cal enrichment of the region and their beneficial properties. The development was done with the cooperation of specialists and the valuable con- tribution of our employees. The students with representatives from local authorities, who were invited to partici- pate in the event, first attended an interesting educational program on biodiversity by D. Mer- mygas, botanist of the Goulandris Museum and then toured the path accompanied by scientists and a map that includes the path with all species of plants that are selected. At the end of the tour, the students planted 25 olive trees and put signs with their schools' name. The event concluded with the celebration of Saint Nicholas located an the plant and the speeches by Stratis Zacharis, Halkis plant Man- ager and Thomas Papaefthymiou, Technical Manager and new plant manager as of January 1st , 2011. Besides the map, visitors received printed mate- rials about the plant, biodiversity, a special bro- chure about the flora and fauna of the quarries of Halkis plant and gifts. PAGE 22 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 23 ΜOBILIZATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT "Clean beaches" by the employees • A voluntary coast cleaning action at the plant's port facilities was organized by the Halkis plant for a second consecutive year. Approximately 50 adults and 12 children took part in the activity which included pier Η1 and the coast extending from the pier H1 to the high bridge and pier E. The initiative was performed jointly with the Sail- ing Club of Halkis, which cleaned 3 small beaches MILAKI PLANT in the area of Aghia Marina. Presentation of the Desalination Unit • On the occasion of the "Environment Day" on 5 MILAKI PLANT June, a team of approx. 20 Heracles employees and contractors cleaned the coast in front of the Open Day plant and the road from the Virgin Mary Church to the borders of the Municipality of Agria. The team used means and equipment appropriate Milaki plant organized an Open Day, Thurs- water and covers the plant's needs for di- for cleaning. day, December 9th, 2010, inviting rep- rect use in the production process (up 90% resentatives of local communities, local of its total needs). government, education community and As a result, the natural resources are saved • The Milaki plant welcomed the invitation of the stakeholders to visit the plant and to be and the long-term viability is enhanced. Aliveri coast guard and took part in the cleaning informed. The Open Day is an opportunity Moreover, through cooperation with of the Karavos coasts with equipment and per- for the stakeholders to be informed about ELKETHE, the Desalination Unit monitors sonnel. the recently completed project of Desali- and controls the quality of seawater and nation Unit and the Integrated Water the state of the marine environment. Resources Management Program. The Water Resources Management Pro- The presentation was held by Thanasis Ba- gram covers the full cycle of water sup- bos, Plant Manager, and Vassilis Katerelos, ply and disposal after the use in the plant. Environment and Optimization Manager. Apart from the Desalination Unit, the Milaki Furthermore, Dr. Alexandra Pavlidou, Sci- plant has created a network for collection entific Responsible of the Oceanography and recycling rainwater and surface wa- Institute of the Greek Center for Marine ter. sprinkle outdoor stock piles through Research (ELKETHE) presented the partner- an extensive network, to drench the plant ship with the plant and the results of the roads for the reduction of the fugitive HALKIS PLANT measurements for the quality monitoring dust and to water the plants. Surface wa- Volunteers employees clean the beach of seawater and the monitoring of under- ter is collected and after passing through water flora and fauna. a cleaning system is recycled to sprinkling The plant uses water for a) direct use in the and watering networks. production process (procured the required quantities of water by ship from Attica), b) drenching the plant roads and outdoor stock piles to reduce fugitive dust and c) water the plants of the Milaki plant and the restoration areas of the quarry. Utilizing the plant proximity to the sea, the Desalination Unit was constructed and operated in September 2010. The Desali- nation Unit is an investment of € 1.2 mil- lion and is a technologically advanced and sustainable method for the reduction of the consumption of drinking water. With the Desalination Unit, Milaki plant replaces fresh drinking water with desalinated sea- PAGE 24 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 VOLOS PLANT Actions in collaboration with the Fire Service in Volos Volos Plant has got a long tradition of ac- What are your expectations from this col- tively supporting environment protection laboration? activities. As stated by Apostolos Kremastas, We deem it is quite important to constantly im- a major objective is the plant's operation in prove active protection means, renew mechanical accordance with the environmental terms equipment keeping abreast with state-of-the-art under its license and participation in the lo- fire protection technology for the plant's safer cal environment upgrading through projects operation, and to safeguard the surrounding area such as natural gas installation, hybrid filters of Gorytsa hill. We would also like to continue per- and use of biomass. Training programs, pre- forming joint readiness exercises, as in the past, ΝΙCOLAOS LATHYRIS vention schemes and provision of equipment implementing dangerous events management Chief of the Fire Service in Volos are some of the actions deployed in collabo- scenarios and training Fire Service personnel and ration with the community, contributing to the Plant's fire protection team. the quality of life and nature protection. Nicolaos Lathyris, Chief of the Fire Service in Volos, describes the actions undertaken jointly with the plant and the Service's expectations from this col- Training programs, prevention laboration. schemes and provision of equip- What the voluntary environmental actions ment are some of the actions de- that you have implemented jointly with the ployed in collaboration with the Volos plant? community, contributing to the In the context of fire management and enhanced quality of life and nature protec- organization of forest firefighting in the Prefec- ture of Magnissia, Heracles has offered water tanks tion. which have been selectively positioned by our Apostolos Kremastas Service to supply firefighting vehicles with water. "En drasi" The Volos plant also fosters synergies with actively involved, and serviced and repaired the volunteer environment teams for the firewatch station at Orthy. purpose of contributing to their valuable work. One of such teams is the Volunteer Do you think that our collaboration can be Environment Team of Almyros "En Drasi" sustained? (In Action). Their president, Christos Kara- In the current difficult economic juncture, you zoupis, believes in the continuation of the continue to support our actions with honesty, five-year collaboration. and we continue to offer our services willingly. We are certain that this collaboration will be con- CHRISTOS KARAZOUPIS What does your collaboration with Volos tinued smoothly for the purpose of developing President of the Volunteer plant consist in? our area actively and fruitfully. Environment Team of Almiros Well, it was with the plant's exclusive assist- ance that we constructed a beautiful stone amphitheatre-chessboard for a hundred and INFO fifty persons in the Kouri forest, purchased a Volunteer Environment Team of Almiros 4x4 truck equipped with a firefighting system "En drasi" for the needs of Civil Protection where we are http://www.endrasei.gr 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 25 CREATING ADDED VALUE Utilizing Renewable Energy Sources Tide, Ebb, Flood Tide is a phenomenon in which a rise in water level (flood) followed by a lowering of the water level (ebb) is observed. Tides in general are caused by the gravitational forces of the sun and the moon on Earth's sea waters. This is why tidal currents change their directions depending on Earth's position rela- tive to the sun and moon. In Greece a much more complex tidal phenomenon is observed. The Evripos channel tide. Its name Evripos comes from the Greek words «ευ» (good) and «ριπή» (flow), describes eloquently the occasion- ally precipitate flow of the channel waters, which often move at 20 km per hour. The Evripos channel with its draw bridge is the point where the north and south Evoikos gulf meet and is renowned for its notorious "mad waters". The water flow in this point changes direction from north-bound to south- bound every six hours. SOURCE http://schoolbits.blogspot.com PAGE 26 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 HALKIS PLANT Study on the utilization of the Evripos channel current potential Τ he Hellenic Centre for Marine Research Oceanography Institute in collaboration with the Centre for Renewable Energy The study The study conducted in collaboration with Heracles consists, initially, in the perform- Sources and Saving (CRES) have assigned ance of systematic measurements of the to conduct the study on the use of sea cur- current velocity and direction, and data rents energy potential for power generation analysis and processing. Then, the available in the area of Evripos channel. The research hydrokinetic energy at the Evripos channel team will select, acquire and install the nec- will be assessed and market research will Dr. Takvor Soukissian essary equipment for the operation of a pi- be conducted to acquire the appropriate Senior Researcher lot plant to covert water hydrokinetic power equipment to be installed as close as possi- Institute of Oceanography into electricity. The pilot plant can ensure the ble to the area of the old bridge in Halkis. Hellenic Center for Marine Research power supply of a small tourist pavilion that Finally, a power transmission system will be will be set up in collaboration with the Port designed and built to supply the facilities at "Pioneering research is currently con- Commission of Halkis. the old bridge of Halkis, and research will be performed on the possibility to use the Evri- ducted in the area of Halkis in Greece: Re- The research challenges pos channel current energy more extensively searchers of the Oceanography Institute, This research effort is faced with some chal- and systematically in order to partly meet the Hellenic Center for Marine Research, in col- lenges mainly because the uptake of sea electric power requirements of the Heracles laboration fellow researchers of the Centre currents hydrokinetic energy has not been plant. adequately studied from a technical and sci- for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving entific point of view. The use of tidal energy (CRES), are thoroughly studying the Evripos is currently one of the most innovative and channel currents behaviour in order to use pioneering energy applications worldwide, for power generation. The success of this mainly due to its multiple benefits versus other known renewable energy sources project will place our country in the club (wind, solar, wave). of countries advanced in the use of less known and much promising renewable en- The difficulties of the venture ergy sources." The difficulties in this project lie in the selec- tion and installation of the plant at small lo- cation in the area of the channel given the multiple uses of this location. The completion of this venture will signal a major technical and scientific achievement at global level. Previous actions Although the Evripos channel tidal phenom- «The study on the utilization of the Evripos channel provides a unique enon is widely and globally known, its exploi- opportunity to be distinguished an important renewable energy for tation as an energy source has never been tackled, to the best of our knowledge, by any Halkis and its citizens. Greek or foreign research team. The peculiar- The collaboration with the Hellenic Centre for Marine Researche Ocea- ity of the Halkis area and the high velocity lo- cal currents coupled with the apparently am- nography Institute and the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and ple hydrokinetic energy in the Aegean, make Savings is pioneering and is a big challenge because they have not done the object of this research interesting, origi- previous scientific studies.» nal and, in any case, promising with regard to the future use of tidal energy, as a reliable Stratis Zacharis alternative to sea wind and wave energy. BU Business Development Manager 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 27 CREATING ADDED VALUE VOLOS PLANT Temporary storage of biomass Biomass, a renewable energy source VOLOS PLANT Procedure of shredderbiomasss feeding T he Biomass is a fuel witch substitutes the traditional fuels like the coal and the pet coke, fuels non renewable. Since May 2008, the Volos plant has been the first Heracles site to use biomass from cotton, corn, tomato, wheat and rape seed crop residues in the area of Thessaly in order to partly substitute for pet coke and coal. The plant collaborates with 9 local farmers from the areas of Thessaly collecting their crop residues. Following harvest, the residual stems are cut near ground level with the use of a spe- cial stem-cutter and are piled in row arrangements behind the cut- ter. Biomass is rolled in big round bales using an appropriate baler. Bales are then transferred by trucks from the stacking or storage points to the Volos Plant, where they are stored in a roofed store- house equipped with modern firefighting systems. According to Nikos Anestis, Environment Engineer Responsible for resources recovery at Volos Plant, the benefits resulting from the use of biomass, as an alternative energy source, are crucial for the plant's sustainability and compliance with the company's En- vironment Policy under the "2012 Sustainability Ambitions". "This is a considerable effort initiated at the Volos plant in mid 2008. The implementation cost, including modification of existing build- ings and equipment purchase and installation amounted to € 1.5 million. In collaboration with suppliers from Thessaly, cotton, corn, tomato and wheat crops residues are harvested and compacted in bales. They are then subjected to controlled incineration substitut- ing for part of the existing solid fuel instead of being uncontrollably burnt in the fields.» VOLOS PLANT Chart of biomass flow PAGE 28 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 UNIVERSITY OF THESSALY Study on the collection of the Biomass This endeavour, which aims at increasing the Of course, the complete removal of residues also annually harvested, is actively assisted by the causes some negative effects on agriculture: Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Reduction in the soil organic matter; if the residues Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, led by remained in the fields on site without burning, soil Professor Theofanis Gemtos. Prof. Gemtos states: organic matter would be increased and fertility THEOFANIS GEMTOS "It is very hopeful that a large industrial company might be decreased. Professor of the University of the area decided to utilize local crop residues to Residues cover the field's surface and protect it of Thessaly produce energy and replace fossil fuels. For me, it against erosion is very pleasant that research conducted over the There is a risk of soil compression if harvesting is past twenty years and going on is put in use. The conducted in wet conditions. Agricultural Machinery Laboratory addresses issues of crop residues and their use including harvesting, The Laboratory is interested in studying the effects handling and supply to energy conversion plants. of biomass removal on the soil, and elaborating The use of crop residues offers a number of ad- methods to mitigate the negative effects through vantages: intermediate crops that will be used as natural • It is an existing available material and farmers fertilisers. Collaboration may be developed in this have to manage it.So far it has been basically area, too." burnt; but based on the new codes of good ag- Given that Heracles is interested in greater use of ricultural practices (multiple compliance), burn- biomass, there is ample scope for cooperation and ing is prohibited. Therefore, there is a manage- utilization of energy crops. ment problem, and biomass harvesting and use for energy production is a solution. In this direction, the laboratory, in cooperation • The use of residues generates revenues for rural with the plant, can make studies and find methods areas that are faced with income cuts following in order to eliminate the risk which comes from the • 9 contractor employees the change in the Common Agricultural Policy, reduction of the biomass in the soil. Specifically, in- work for us. Their compa- and creates jobs -which is an equally major is- termediate cultivations and burying of the material ny has made 8 balers and sue. as fertilizer could be a potential solution. • It substitutes for fossil fuels that are imported 13 stem-cutters available, into our country paying valuable foreign ex- Our Laboratory performs research in a series of is- some of them though use change. sues regarding the utilization process and the ef- privately owned machin- • It enhances the country's energy balance. fects of using plant residues. During a visit of the • It reduces greenhouse gas emissions, because Laboratory staff to Volos plant, there was discus- ery to harvest biomass. biomass generates almost zero CO2 emissions. sion on a number of areas where collaboration • The annually harvested quantity is estimated at 10,000-12,000 tons and keeps increasing. • Our contractors operate in the plains of Magnissia and Larissa which are close to the plant, keeping trans- portation costs at reason- able levels. VOLOS PLANT Unloading of biomass 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 29 CREATING ADDED VALUE could be established. Specifically: • Developing biomass harvesting and han- dling standards. There is currently a PhD thesis performed on this issue at the Laboratory; Heracles helps by strengthening the collaboration of its con- tractors in the collection of data while operat- ing the machinery in the fields. It is believed that this program will help to better organize the process and achieve minimum biomass cost. • Developing of a software application. In the framework of the European Future Farm project, in which our lab participates, a software application is being developed for improved machinery management in bio- mass harvest areas. The software relies on Geographic Information Systems (GIS). There will be collaboration on data compilation and standard application in crops residues collec- tions both in space and time. There is also interest in the overall study of the harvest – storage – handling system with a view to mini- mize the harvesting cost. • Use of other residues. There is common interest in the use of other residues, such as pruning residues, that could be fed to Heracles. In this area, harvesting methods have to be studied and a collabo- ration may be developed in the forthcoming period. Strengthening the actions of volunteers South Evia, and especially the area in the immediate neighbourhood of the Milaki plant, was severely affected by the 2007 and 2009 fires. The company supports the volunteers with trainings and sponsorships, con- tributing the prevention and the protection of the environment. T he idea of volunteering against fires gained ground immediately. The plant is in contact with local authorities, the Fire with local agencies throughout have been positive and it has been an excellent op- portunity to understand and consolidate Corps and Forest Service and has participat- the relationship of the plant with the com- ed in the development of an comprehensive munity". In the above framework, volunteer fire prevention program which comprised firemen trainings were organized by both 7 municipalities and included fire protec- Halkis and Milaki plants in all 7 municipali- tion equipment, firefighting vehicles, water ties of the PRAKSI program. These trainings tanks (retrofitted silo-trucks), a visit of May- have almost become an institution by now. ors to France, where there is considerable The above actions turned the plant into a accumulated experience in fire prevention, contact point where new volunteer associa- regular training, etc. Our working relations tions come to take part in trainings, organ- PAGE 30 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 Nikolaos Lambrou, member of the Volun- teer Firefighting Association of Konistra Municipality, talks about the collaboration of the Association with the Milaki plant, in particular following the destructive fires of 2007 that hit the broader areas of south Evia. Have you taken part in trainings for volun- teer firefighting teams organized jointly with the Milaki plant? The first time our team, the Volunteer Fire- NIKOLAOS LAMBROU fighting Team of Konistra (EODK), participated Member of V.F.A.K. in a volunteer training was last April, although it known that similar trainings are held every year at the Milaki plant. The training was joined by most volunteer teams from south and cen- tral Evia under the guidance of the Halkis and Aliveri Fire Services. The initiative of the Milaki plant is very significant as it provides the unique opportunity to get volunteers in contact with the leadership of the local Fire Services and ex- MILAKI PLANT change ideas and proposals about their mode of Training of the volunteers firefighting collaboration. From your experience, does the plant support voluntary environment actions in the area? In the aftermath of the disastrous 2007 fires, the plant donated light-weight firefighting ve- hicles to the fire stricken municipalities, which Prevention starts with proper in- will certainly come handy for immediate fire suppression. However, environmental actions formation and education of the should not be limited to the suppression of local population. natural disasters, which are in fact a symptom of people's general and age-long indifference, but also extend to their prevention. Yet prevention starts with proper information ized with the aid of the Fore Corps, and receive and education of the local population. In this technical material assistance for fire prevention framework EODK organized a large concert last and fighting. summer named "Concert for the Forrest"; the The intervention, according to Charalambos revenues raised from the event will go to the re- Demertzis, Human Resources Manager at Mi- forestation of scorched land. Our objective is to laki Plant, mainly consists in training events for get local inhabitants and students to participate volunteer firefighting teams, where volunteers in the reforestation, so that they get to love and have the opportunity to receive theoretical and respect the forest in the future. The plant has practical training on the key principles of fire been on our side throughout this effort of ours prevention and suppression by the Fire Corp, and helped us promote the concert through a thus enhancing coordination and cooperation major sponsorship. We hope that it will also be between volunteers and the Fire Corps. there during the reforestation! 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 31 CREATING ADDED VALUE In your opinion, how much can the work of volunteer teams be helped by large Medical Centers, companies? According to Civil Protection figures, the number in Aliveri of volunteers involved in firefighting in Greece is over 200,000. The Fire Corps employs approxi- Following the 2007 devastating fires, Mi- experts helped in the landscape rehabilitation. mately 10,000 firemen. You do realize that if laki plant has been helping decisively in the They also placed firefighting station in ten lo- these figures were remotely true, there wouldn't management of the crucial problems that cations. Finally, the plant sponsored cultural be any fire concern in Greece. Yet problems do emerged in our Municipality and the broader events in the area to boost firefighting volun- exist because there is not control or assessment, area. To be more specific, since the very first teering and blood donation. therefore even the scarcely available funds are days after the fires, the plant purchased fod- lost in non-existent teams. der to meet the urgent animal farming needs In the framework of the PRAKSI program, An exception to this rule is the local government, and rented generators for pump stations. It the company undertook to reconstruct and which often supports local teams; I should add also provided financial and technical assist- refurbish 8 medical centres in the Municipal though that these funds should be directed to ance to the Municipal Water Supply & Sewage Departments of Aghios Loucas, Aghios Ioan- prevention rather than suppression, because this Enterprise for the restoration of the water nis, Parthenios, Panagia, Trachilio, Tharounia, is the responsibility of local government organi- network, and refurbished the burnt school Paramerites and Gavala. The medical centres sations. So, you see that because operating and building in Trachilio. Additionally, it offered serve approximately 6,000 inhabitants, the equipment costs for a volunteer team are huge financial aid to plant employees who needed majority of whom are farmers, stock breeders and the state has got deficient infrastructure in to have their homes restored. Then, the plant and elderly people. At this point I would like to place, any help from the private sector is not made staff and machinery available for the thank the management of LAFARGE and Milaki only useful but also necessary. It is also impor- clearing of rivers and torrents and tree plant- plant, in my capacity as Vice-Mayor of the Mu- tant for companies to select their sponsorships ing activities; it also bought seven firefighting nicipality of Tamynea, for your contribution to cautiously and not for the sole purpose of their vehicles and material, trained volunteer fire- our Municipality and broader area. promotion. fighters in Greece and France, while French Finally, addressing those readers who are in- terested in knowing how they can volunteer to help, they should now that there are serious vol- unteer teams across Greece; Attica and Evia have the largest numbers of teams in proportion to their population. For further information about EODK, visit www.eodk.gr. INFO Firefighting Association of Konistra Municipality http://www.eodk.gr The Halkis plant supports projects of local infrastructure Over the past year, Halkis plant has exhib- of Volunteer Fire-Protection and Rescue ited significant work in the development Forces of the Municipality of Messapia, and and restoration of local infrastructure. In offered a vehicle for the transport of rescu- the framework of the PRAKSI program, the ers and equipment to the Volunteer Samari- plant provided the Municipality of Halkis tans and Rescuers of Halkis. The plant had and the Prefecture of Evia with cement and a major contribution to the renovation and other building materials for road and anti- reopening of the Halkis motor racing track, flood works, trucks and equipment for re- which hosts nation-wide races and helps in construction and fire-protection purposes, local development. The company offered as well as water tanks in reforested areas. prefab buildings, a construction truck and It also sponsored the purchase of firefight- equipment, materials and water tanks. ing uniforms and boots by the Association PAGE 32 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 VOLOS PLANT Next to the people with disability The Volos plant has included in its sponsoring program ongoing actions for its stakeholders' health & safety. One of the actions is the collaboration with Hellenic Society for the Protection and Rehabilitation of Children with Disability (ELEPAP). According to the President of the Society, Efterpi Margariti-Papandreou, the companies that support people with dis- 9th Business Panorama of Volos, ability are scarce. "ELEPAP's collaboration with the Volos plant an opportunity for dialogue dates back to 1998 when the Volos branch of ELEPAP started operating. Heracles do- nated a bus which has been transporting For the Volos plant communicating with the for improvements. A very significant comment our children to date. broader community is a daily task and challenge. made by the majority of respondents was that The plant's participation in the 9th Business they would like to have the opportunity to visit The company has been supporting our Panorama of Volos is great opportunity, because our plant, be informed about its operation, ask Branch in practice throughout these years through regular sponsorships in order for we have the chance to be in contact with our questions and see the plant first hand. This is a us to organize our events. stakeholder and establish an open dialogue with good motive for us to organize Open Days, invit- them. As Kostas Paraskevas, Head of Local Devel- ing the community and our neighbours, who will In our opinion Heracles is one of the very opment & Environment says "in view of this year's be given guided tours around the plant facilities few large companies that show interest in people with disability." event, we decided to prepare a questionnaire for and have an open dialogue with us. I believe that visitors, in order to get responses about people's communicating with people is the key to a suc- concerns related to the plant's operation, how cessful and smooth co-existence". INFO they would like to keep track of developments Ηeelenic Society for the Protection and the Rehabilitation of Children with regard to these concerns, and suggestions with Disability http://www.elepap.gr VOLOS PLANT Volos Plant assists multi-children families Volos Plant helps and rewards pupils' education and success or- finances the awards to multi-children families and excelling students ganizing a series of actions in support of pupils and multi-chil- who enter universities and military schools every year. This action set an dren families. Soultana Prapa, President of the Multi-Children example and proves that business activity can and must be combined Families' Association in Magnissia, considers the collaboration with social sensitivity. This continued support gives strength and cour- with Volos plant an example to be followed by the business age to our Association's Management Board and is broadly welcomed by world of Magnissia. the multi-children families of our prefecture". "Multi-Children Families' Association of Magnissia organizes events and seminars as part of its mission to support multi-children families and highlight the demographic problem. A principal patron and supporter of these efforts is Heracles, which sponsors our New Year's Eve party, and 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 33 LAVA Responding assertively to challenges Energetic, as suggested by its name, LAVA has pursued a dynamic course of expansion to new markets in an at- tempt to overcome the crisis-induced conditions. Having being present for over 58 years in the mineral industry in Greece with sites in Yali, Nissiros, in Altsi, Sitia, on Milos island and in Almyros, Magnissia, LAVA, a group subsidiary, has been operating in the industrial minerals extraction, processing and trading with an exporting orientation. Dimitris Chanis, Lava Manager, outlines the company's activities and recent initiatives. What is the business nature of LAVA? Is it a mainly trading com- pany? We are a mining company starting with the extracting activity. But we also process and market the materials we mine; our client base includes busi- ness both in Greece and abroad. I'd say, then, that we a dual mission: first, to manage our mining activity with responsibility and having our people's Health & Safety at the top of our priorities; second, to ensure constant growth of our company's trading activity, trend-tracking in international markets and development of products and services for new applications. To what extent has the domestic and international crisis affected your activity? The sharp decline of the building activity on Greece has certainly affected our activity on the domestic market. At the same time, though, drove us to step up our efforts to penetrate new markets abroad exporting our gypsum and pumice stone products. In the past year we have manage to close new commercial deals on the sale of pumice stone in the Mediterranean region and Arab peninsula. So far our plans and efforts have been fruitful, as pumice stone exports have increased by 53% in the first eleven months of 2010 compared to the same period last year, compensating our losses on the domestic market. Additionally, LAVA has embarked on gypsum exports to Mediterranean countries this year seeking long-standing deals. PAGE 34 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 What are currently the strategic priorities Which do you consider as the key develop- of LAVA? ment initiatives of LAVA? A top priority of ours, regardless of market Our opening to new markets and devising new conditions, is the Health & Safety of our peo- applications for our products. Recently our ple and stakeholders. In recent years we have company established a partnership with the implemented a series of major and substantial Lafarge Aggregates Division in France. Under projects at our sites. Works worth over € 100,000 the LAVA trade name and mostly aiming at the have been completed in our gypsum quarry in prefab building materials (blocks) industry, our Altsi, to ensure safer working conditions for the pumice stone is available now for Lafarge clients site employees and ship crews who load gypsum in France. This collaboration extends abroad from the quarry; more works worth € 150,000 one of LAVA's core domestic activities, namely have been implemented at the pozzolane quarry the use of pumice stone for the production of on Milos island, and by the end of the year more building materials – pumice concrete blocks. works will be in place for safer vehicle traffic plan Moreover, in a highly challenging economic at the site. Additionally, at the Yali pumice stone juncture, we took the initiative for a partnership quarry, improvements were made to the equip- project with the Agricultural University of Athens ment in order to upgrade safety standards for consisting in the implementation of a research the employees. It is a site with several specifici- programme on the "Development of good agri- ties, such access difficulties, production process cultural practices for horticulture in pumice and involving tunnels, a multitude of conveyor belts. their dissemination in farming". For LAVA, this is At this point, I should congratulate our people a strategic partnership, as this research project who are sensitive to health and safety issues and enriches the knowledge available in Greece try to contribute every day to the implementa- about hydroponic cultures in pumice stone for DIMITRIS CHANIS LAVA Manager tion of projects and safer conditions in all three the benefit of Greek farmers, geotechnical engi- quarries. neers and agricultural engineers, while helping our company to upgrade the quality of services It goes without saying that a strategic pri- its delivers to its customers. ority of ours is our business growth and new market penetration. We consider new applica- Is there anything new in the pipeline? tions for our products and monitor develop- We have been working feverishly on our new ment so as to create a competitive advantage LAVA website. We want it to be as rich in infor- for our products on the markets. For instance, mation as possible regarding our activities, ma- the natural properties of pumice stone (environ- terial uses and stakeholder relations. We intend «Our contribution to the devel- mentally friendly, heat-insulating, sound-damp- to be ready upon the start of the new year. ening, non-combustible, homogenous, white opment of the local communities colour, high mechanical strength and low spe- where we operate is another prior- cific weight) enable us to explore applications related to sustainable development. ity and focus of our actions; there- Our contribution to the development of the lo- fore, we allocate a major part of our cal communities where we operate is another resources , services and know-how priority and focus of our actions; therefore, we allocate a major part of our resources , services to this end.» and know-how to this end. Let us not forget that the company is one of the largest foreign-exchange generating production businesses in the Dodecanese. The Municipal- ity of Nissiros collects revenues in excess of 1,000,000 annually generated by the company's operation. A good deal of the company's gross income is allocated to the constant presence of a tugboat in the frontier area of Kos district; Moreover LAVA rents a boat to ensure commut- ing between Nissiros and Kos islands. LAVA's exporting activity is the reason why a Customs' Office is located on Nissiros island. Additionally, the loading of dozens of ships annually for the INFO domestic and international markets stimulates LAVA decisively the area's economic life. http://www.lava.gr 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 35 LAVA PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS Research program on pumice stone O n Wednesday 3 November, a conference was organized at Zappion Hall to inaugurate the part- nership between LAVA and the Agricultural Uni- areas where there is a need to solve concerns raised by producers (e.g. suitable irrigation strat- egy for various pumice grain grades). versity of Athens, and the elaboration of a new The purpose of the program is to provide techni- research program on "The promotion of good cal assistance to producers cultivating in pum- agricultural practices for soilless cultiva- ice, by offering recipes for nutritious solutions tion in pumice and their dissemination to and instructions regarding crop management Greek growers". for two full seasons. Through this program, we The conference title was "Soilless cultivation wish to receive systematic data from the moni- in pumice. An environment-friendly alter- tored crops and review them with the help of native to soil fumigation in greenhouse the Agricultural University of Athens, Crop Sci- crops", and the speakers' list included research ence Department, vegetable production labora- team members from the Agricultural University tory, with a view to identifying any problems and of Athens. Participants were greeted by Mr Dimi- finding ways to solve them. We also intend to tris Hanis, LAVA General Manager. train geotechnical experts and producers in soil- As Mr Hanis pointed out, "This research program less cultivation in pumice. All the above activities aims at systematically collecting and recording will be combined so as to contribute as much as the existing scientific and technological knowl- possible, both to recording and generating new edge regarding growing greenhouse plants in knowledge, and to disseminating this knowledge pumice, in order to prepare a practical instruc- to Greek farmers, finally aiming at helping im- tion manual for producers already cultivating or prove the competitiveness of hydroponic pum- interested in cultivating in pumice. ice units in greenhouses in Greece". Our aim is to collect important information in PAGE 36 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 Dimitris Savvas, Assistant Professor at the earlier and for longer durations throughout the Agricultural University of Athens and Sci- day during the cold period, thus accelerating the entific Advisor to the program, presents early maturing of production. Finally, water and and analyses hydroponic cultures as well fertilizer residues can be collected and recycled as the advantages from the use of pumice. to achieve increased usage effectiveness of wa- ter and nutrients and to reduce certain unfa- What do we mean by the term 'hydroponic vourable consequences that farming has on the cultures'? environment, such as pollution from nitrates and Hydroponic cultures are cultures where the root eutrophication of water resources. system of plants grows outside the natural soil and is fed with water and nutrients through a What makes a good substrate? nutritious solution. This solution is prepared by A good substrate must be free of plant diseases, dissolving ordinary water soluble fertilisers in wa- must have a balance between its water capacity ter and fed to the plants through the irrigation and air permeability so that one attribute is not system. Instead of soil, roots grow either in po- superior to the other, must have low purchase rous media (substrate) substituting for the soil as cost and not be damaging to the environment regards the balanced supply of water and oxy- when its life-cycle comes to an end and must be gen to the plant roots, or directly in the nutri- disposed of. tious solution. The first type is called hydroponic culture in substrates, while the second type is Why is pumice superior to other materi- called hydroculture. The term hydroponics als? stems from the Greek words "hydro" (water) and Pumice is a natural, ecological product that "ponos" (work) and is used to distinguish non- features all the above attributes to a satisfactory soil cultures from typical agriculture. degree, and at the same time is suitable for crop production when used as substrate What are the advantages of hydroponic in hydroponic cultures. Moreover, pumice is cultures? a domestically produced product that can sub- In recent years, hydroponics has been increas- stitute for similar imported products with obvi- ingly spreading as the culture method of choice ous beneficial effects for the National Economy. in greenhouses, thanks to its numerous advan- However, for producers to opt for it, it is not • 2.000 sq.m. hydroponic cultiva- tages in comparison to agriculture. The main ad- enough for pumice to have a low price and good vantages are that since no soil is used, there is culture performance, since the latter depends tion in Greece no need for soil disinfection in the greenhouses on correct usage. To use pumice correctly, one • 450 sq.m. Cucumbers using methyl bromide or other toxic chemical must have the necessary know-how and dissemi- disinfectants in order to combat soil-generated nate it to the growers. This program intends to • 1.000 sq.m. Tomatoes diseases. Moreover, there is much better control fulfil the above purposes. of nutrition since plants are fed with a nutri- • 50 sq.m. Lettuce tious solution with the proper composition, and • 500 other gardening (rose) as a result nutrition disorders are avoided and greater yields achieved. Cultures are no longer • 50.000 sq.m. conventional linked to the soil fertility level and therefore can be performed and can produce significant yields cultivation even in completely infertile soils, while the root system, since it is not in the ground, warms up From the left: Dimitris Chanis, LAVA Manager, Dimitris Savas, Ass. Prof. at the Agricultural University of Athens, An. Kotsiras, Ass. Professor, Tecnical University of Patras, Geor. Ntatsi, Cand. Prof. at the Agricultural University of Athens, Haris - Konstantina Kontopoulou, Cand. Prof. at the Agricultural University of Athens 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 37 HIGHLIGHTS VOLOS PLANT Participation in the "Magnissia 2010 – 9th Business Panorama of Volos" exhibition The Volos plant was present at the "Mag- During the exhibition, the Volos plant welcomed nissia 2010 – 9th Business Panorama of Vo- the dialogue and communication with all stake- los" exhibition organized from 25 September holders, who could also fill out a suggestions until 3 October at the Volos Exhibition Centre, form for the plant. under the auspices of the Magnissia Chamber of Commerce. The plant's stand hosted a number of presen- tations regarding the plant's activities and pri- orities, while visitors could also use computers to learn about the cement production process. There was also a special structure showcasing the main production process materials, such as limestone, clinker, raw mix, cement, etc. Leaflets were distributed with information on the plant and our Policies and products, as well as original gifts made from recycled materials. VOLOS PLANT Participation in the 5th International Congress on Transportation Research Heracles participated in the 5th Inter- environment and transport". The main goal of national Congress on Transportation Re- the congress was to present recent research search, held in Volos on 27 & 28 September, work and developments on transports in Greece, with a sponsorship and a presentation on "Safe and to exchange views on a national and inter- road transports", made by Mr Thomas Kordas, national scale. Head of Road Transports. The Congress was organized by the Hellenic Institute of Transpor- tation Engineers and the Hellenic Institute of Transport (Centre for Research and Technology Hellas - CERTH), on the main theme of "Energy, PAGE 38 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 RIO TERMINAL The new look of the terminal After completion of the major project of installing minal Manager, Aristotelis Frantzis, stated the following "This sound barriers on the Rio Terminal's perimeter, the month project is consistent with the company's worker Health & Safety of July also saw the completion of additional projects, i.e. the culture and policy and confirms our efforts for creating a safe anti-seismic strengthening of buildings, repair of Silo no 2, and workplace. Moreover, this has been a unique challenge for the painting of all building facilities. The overall project lasted four pilot implementation of the Contractor Safety Management months, during which there were daily inspections of the work Standard, which was fully implemented from the very first steps site, frequent meetings with and training of the contractor and of contractor selection, until project delivery and final contrac- its staff, so as to best ensure the project's safe completion. tor evaluation. More than 7000 man-hours and dozens of cu- It was the first time that the Contractor Safety Management bic meters of scaffolding were required for this project, where Standard was ever implemented in a terminal, an important work at height was a major safety concern". tool for the safety of our associates. Upon completion of the project, the terminal was commissioned in its original state, free of materials, tools, scrap, debris etc. Moreover, the contractor's heavy equipment was loaded and removed from the site in a safe manner and according to the applicable procedures. Ter- MILAKI PLANT The first local consultation meeting The local consultation process was launched on 22 July tives from the local community, and fixed the next meeting's at the Milaki plant, with the participation of local community agenda. This Milaki initiative is part of the Heracles Sustainabil- representatives and bodies. Mr Thanassis Babos, Plant Manag- ity Ambitions 2012. er, presented the idea of local consultation which is founded on systematic and collective communication, two-way partici- pation and the development of relationships of trust, which was followed by a discussion with stakeholders on matters pertaining to the plant's activities. This first meeting laid the foundation for an open and regular dialogue with representa- 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 39 HIGHLIGHTS HEAD OFFICE Internal Control Systems Coordinators - Champions A comprehensive Internal Control system, integrated in the structure of every function. With a view to preserving a dynamic and Manager, Champions constitute the main pillar effective Internal Control system, in 2005 for preserving a strong internal control system, the company established the "Network of In- fully integrated into the structure of our opera- ternal Control Systems Coordinators" called, the tions. "Champions". This solution was published in Lafarge's LO – In- The Internal Control Systems coordinators are ternal Control Publication as a good practice, selected people that work towards developing, and can be implemented in other Business Units preserving and updating internal control systems of the Group. in all Company Divisions, ensuring that the inter- nal control system is aligned with the functional processes and, finally, confirming through regu- lar checks, that systems operate as designed. The Champions Team is made up of 14 people, selected by General Managers, in cooperation with the Internal Control Division. The selected persons combine adequate knowledge of busi- ness functions with risk awareness. Champions normally report to their direct supervisor, but on internal control matters report to the Internal Control Division. To keep Champions constantly trained, there is a yearly Meeting of Internal Control Systems Coordinators, aimed at providing information on changes to or on new control systems, the constantly changing risks but also instructions on the controls they shall be performing. Results so far justify our efforts. Champions reveal gaps in the internal control systems, propose best practices, plan changes and inform on their implementation. According to Anastasia Katraki, Internal Control PAGE 40 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 Accuracy and reliability for all HERACLES laboratories HERACLES received a very high distinction when the plant ranked first among 171 Lafarge within the Lafarge Group, since all business units' labs, this year the plant ranked third among 213 laboratories achieved a LAI reliability index of Lafarge business units with LAI 100% and DTT 100%. 0.10. LAI (Lab Accuracy Index) is a particularly impor- As regards the other HERACLES plants, they all tant key performance index for Lafarge Group, had LAI 100%, and DTT 0.14 for ΕΚΕΤ, 0.16 for since it measures the accuracy and reliability of the Halkis plant and 0.17 for the Milaki plant. Eu- laboratories. This is an objectively measured in- rope Technical Centre ETC congratulated HERA- dex for the labs in all Lafarge plants as well as CLES on this significant achievement, since it is technical and research centres. After complet- the only Lafarge business unit with LAI 100% in ing measurements relying on interlaboratory all four labs. tests, and following the statistical processing of results, the LAI and DTT (Distance To Target) were calculated for each lab. In Volos, specifically, after the 2008 success Environmental management at Volos and Milaki plants Following inspections carried out by ELOT Following the inspection carried out by ELOT regarding standard ΕΝ ISO 14001:2004 on the regarding standard ΕΝ ISO 14001:2004 on en- plants' environmental management, Volos and vironmental management, Milaki plant received Milaki plants received particularly positive com- particularly positive comments from the auditors ments from the auditors and the plants were regarding the plant's conformity with the stand- found in complete conformity with the stand- ard's requirements. In particular, according to ard's requirements. the auditors' report, "the company has made Volos plant was evaluated by ELOT and was found major investments to maintain, modernize and in conformity with the requirements of standard expand its very good infrastructure, by complet- ΕΝ ISO 14001:2004. Activities evaluated include ing a multitude of environmental programs and planning, development, production, storage and projects". trading in clinker and cement. Auditors also eval- uated the operation of port facilities for load- ing/discharging bagged and bulk cement and clinker, bulk raw materials, production materials and fuel. 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 41 HIGHLIGHTS Heracles sponsored the 2nd Economist Conference on Sustainable Development Heracles took part in the 2nd Economist the countries where it is present, and has made Conference on Sustainable Development, significant advances in the so-called alternative both through sponsorship and with a speech fuels, which, in essence, are wastes that are not delivered by Pierre Deleplanque. In his speech, being recycled, e.g. paper and plastic. In Greece, the Managing Director, among others, stressed this form of fuel accounts for just 1%-1.5% of that developing products with low energy re- businesses' needs, while in Germany it has ex- quirements is a main priority for Heracles. "We ceeded 50%". In the conference venue there was are particularly encouraging innovation on im- also a special stand with information material on proving energy efficiency. Meanwhile, the com- the company's principles and activities. pany is utilizing the raw materials available in LAVA QUARRY IN YALI A unique plant nursery A nursery with 2,200 plants has been creat- that the unit's second nursery will also become ed at the LAVA quarry in Yali, to grow various a reality. According to project head Mr Giorgos species such as ngaio trees, pines, oak-trees, eu- Pantarotas, an employee of the quarry, "for this calyptuses, fig-trees, musk-trees, cypress-trees endeavour to succeed one must want to do it. and acacias. Construction of the nursery began Personally, ever since I was a child, I have always in December 2009, and the first plants were liked working with the land, and even now, I placed in March 2010. Later, after the autumn grow citrus trees, pear trees, and others." rains, plants will be transplanted and taken out to the sun. Quarry employees aspire that next year their nursery will have 3,500 items, and LAVA LAVA to start a trade partnership with Lafarge Aggregates Pumice extracted from the LAVA quarry in the optimum environmental performance". Gyali, Nissiros, spreads its wings and will now be Pumice fully responds to future requirements re- offered to Lafarge customers in France. Under the garding thermal insulation, and is absolutely LAVA trade name and mostly aiming at the precast compatible with the Group's sustainable con- building materials (blocks) industry, pumice is the struction policy. This is the Group's only source of scope of a business partnership between LAVA and pumice and it is the first time that such a partner- Lafarge Aggregates. ship is developed with another Business Unit. This partnership is a new innovation for the Group that will bring fresh dynamics to a greatly troubled sector. The market share for concrete blocks in the private residence sector, has dropped by 20% in the last 10 years, mainly to the benefit of bricks. According to Loic Berthou- Guyader, head of the LAVA program for Lafarge Aggregates: "We offer our customers an integrated solution using pumice. Now they can offer a concrete block with PAGE 42 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | 2011 PHOTO GALLERY Health & Safety Month ALTSI QUARRY VOLOS PLANT Road Transportation Safety Alert Day IRAKLIO TERMINAL YALI QUARRY HALKIS PLANT VOLOS PLANT MILAKI PLANT IGOUMENITSA TERMINAL HEAD OFFICE 2011 | H E R A C L E S M A G A Z I N O | PAGE 43 Printed on paper certified by Forest Stewardship Council
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