What does TITAN Usje produce?

TITAN Usje produces high-quality construction materials such as cement, concrete, mortar, aggregates, and other construction products. In its operations, the company uses the best available techniques. Our work is focused on three key areas: ensuring lower carbon emissions in operations, digitalization to achieve greater efficiency, and offering state-of-the-art solutions that bring benefits to the community as a whole.

How is the operation of TITAN Usje regulated from an environmental perspective?

The production of high-quality products is possible only if the best available techniques are applied in all aspects of operations, with sustainability as the highest overarching goal. TITAN Usje holds an A-Integrated Environmental Permit issued by the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning. Under this permit, Usje is obliged to carry out 24-hour monitoring in accordance with European standards transposed into national legislation.
For this purpose, at all points precisely defined by the competent authorities, we have installed a measurement system from the German manufacturer SICK, which is regularly calibrated and inspected by authorized independent external companies. This means that the measuring instruments are installed by SICK, and TITAN Usje has no access to these instruments, i.e., the monitoring is independent. The accuracy of these measurements is confirmed through calibrations of the measuring devices and multiple verifications by authorized international bodies. The results of these continuous measurements are displayed in accordance with the requirements of the relevant international standard. According to this standard, the monitoring system is completely independent, meaning that TITAN Usje is only the user – a monitored installation.

What do the measurements show?
All measurements continuously show that the legally prescribed Emission Limit Values (ELVs) are not exceeded, and for some parameters the values are several times lower than the legally permitted limits. For example, for total dust, which includes both PM10 and PM2.5 particles, values are most often three to five times lower, while for SO₂ they are several dozen times lower than the permitted limits.
In addition, regular independent control measurements are carried out by independent accredited laboratories, and these measurements show the same results, namely that the company’s operations are within legally permitted limits. From 2007 to the present, the emission limit values from the stacks have not been exceeded even once. This is the result of commitment and investments in new technologies that TITAN Usje has implemented even before they became a legal obligation.
The strongest confirmation that TITAN Usje is not the cause of poor ambient air quality is the fact that even when the company is not operating, i.e., during regular maintenance shutdowns, most often in December or January, pollution levels remain high and occur in their usual pattern, independent of whether production at TITAN Usje is operating or not. On the other hand, during the summer, when the company operates at its highest capacity due to increased demand from the construction industry, there is no air pollution.
Furthermore, all independent studies indicate that industry has a smaller impact on ambient air quality in the city compared to household and public building heating, traffic, construction activities, and open burning.

Are inspections by the competent institutions announced in advance?

The State Environmental Inspectorate is the competent authority responsible for supervising installations that hold an A-Integrated Environmental Permit. The measuring instruments operate continuously and consistently, and regardless of whether inspections are announced or unannounced, it is not possible to influence operations or emissions. The production process does not allow this, meaning that any inspection, announced or unannounced, shows the same results.

Is it possible for the factory to operate without the filters working?

TITAN Usje is a modern industrial facility with a highly efficient and complex filtration system. The filters are an integral part of the production line, meaning that when the kilns are operating, the filters must also operate. Therefore, it is not possible for the filters not to be operating while the factory is in operation.

Are you willing to allow the installation of such independent monitoring stations in and around the factory, and if not, why?

• It is generally known that ambient air quality depends on several factors, such as:
  Meteorological conditions (high air humidity, low temperatures, natural air flow, temperature inversion), i.e., conditions for the formation of fog, and
• Anthropogenic activities, where numerous studies, through analysis of the chemical composition of air deposition, show that the greatest impact on ambient air quality comes from the way buildings are heated, traffic, and open burning, while industry has a smaller impact than these sources.

Consequently, the potential installation of ambient air monitoring stations around and within the premises of TITAN Usje would not provide an answer regarding the impact of TITAN Usje on ambient air quality. The results of such measurements would again be a combination of multiple factors and different influences mentioned above. The measurements would not relate solely to TITAN Usje; even within the company’s yard, the influence of the general air quality in the wider surroundings of the facility, small business facilities, nearby roads, etc. would be measured. Simply put, the air within the company’s premises cannot be isolated or assessed separately from the condition of the ambient air in the immediate and wider surroundings.
The installation of monitoring stations for ambient air quality in agglomerations such as the City of Skopje is the responsibility of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning and is carried out in accordance with international standards transposed into national legislation. This implies the use of calibrated, high-accuracy measuring devices and compliance with scientifically based criteria such as distance from roads, distance between direct emitters (stacks), presence of other emitters, prevailing wind direction, and similar factors.
The impact of TITAN Usje on ambient air and whether that impact is within permitted limits can be determined exclusively through the monitoring system installed on the stacks of TITAN Usje.

Do you use waste as fuel in production?

In its operations, TITAN Usje applies the most advanced practices, including diversification of energy sources, with the aim of greater decarbonization. In the production process, the company uses various energy sources, including renewable energy, and TITAN Usje is the first company in the country to install a facility for the use of alternative fuels derived from non-hazardous waste fractions.
To strengthen energy diversification, the company also invested in a photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of 3 MWp, which covers around 10% of the factory’s daily electricity needs. This clearly demonstrates TITAN Usje’s commitment in this direction. At the same time, the company continues to develop and offer high-performance, more environmentally friendly products that meet the growing needs of the market and society.
The use of processed waste as alternative fuel in the cement industry is a globally proven practice that has been applied for more than 50 years in the EU and the USA. Currently, over 40% of the energy used in the cement industry in the EU comes from alternative fuels derived from waste. Cement kilns operate at temperatures above 1,500°C, which ensures complete combustion, making the process entirely safe for the environment, the workplace, and the wider community. EU countries encourage the cement industry and facilities that have introduced such safe technology to use this fuel because it offers a dual benefit: on one hand, emissions are lower compared to conventional fuels, and on the other hand, it helps address the enormous problem of waste landfilling, which has serious and long-term harmful effects on the environment.
Since 2013, TITAN Usje has had a permit to use alternative fuels, which applies to the use of non-hazardous waste fractions such as rice husks, coffee waste, textiles, paper, cardboard, and composite materials. TITAN Usje is the only company that has invested in technology capable of safely using rice husks, fabrics, and similar materials as fuel. These materials are currently burned in fields across the country or improperly disposed of. The use of these alternative fuels currently accounts for about 5% of the total energy sources used by the company.

What are you doing to reduce your environmental impact?

TITAN Usje continuously invests in improving its operations and reducing its impact on the environment. The company is among the first in the country to fully implement ESG standards, reflecting its ambitious goals regarding environmental performance, social contribution, and corporate governance. Key pillars of the ESG framework are decarbonization, digitalization, positive local impact, and responsible resource management. Achieving these goals means operating according to stricter standards than those prescribed by law.
To improve technological processes, the company continuously invests in modernization and the implementation of innovations, artificial intelligence, and digital tools. Over the past 15 years, investments have exceeded 29 million EUR to ensure sustainable production and outstanding environmental performance.