• It is the first Spanish company to obtain this certificate

Cementos Portland Valderrivas' El Alto plant in Madrid has had its energy management system certified. It is the first Spanish company to certify its Quality, Environmental and Energy Management Systems.

The UNE 216301-compliant Energy Management System covers energy data capture, legal requirements, objectives, goals and programmes, assignment of functions and responsibilities, training, corrective and preventive actions, and internal and external audits.

Implementing such a significant new system was very laborious and the Quality and Environmental Management manuals and procedures that were already in place had to be adapted to the energy standard.

The adaptation process commenced in April 2007 and concluded in July with an audit by AENOR to verify the implementation of the management system based on the PNE 216301 EX standard, which was a proposed standard at that stage.

The Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce supported AENOR's certification of the Energy Management System at El Alto.

This Energy Management System is based on continuous improvement and is a mechanism for promoting energy efficiency in cement production processes, saving energy and thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

It is a new system designed for continuous improvement of energy use, efficient consumption, proper use of natural resources, and alternative and renewable energies.

The work done to certify the Energy Management System at El Alto will pave the way for certification of other facilities owned by Cementos Portland Valderrivas in Spain, making it a pioneer in working towards sustainability.

The El Alto plant, located in the municipality of Morata de Tajuña and with capacity to produce over three million tonnes per year, is considered to be one of the most efficient cement plants in Europe.