Today we visited the largest heavy industrial operation in Cyprus, and the third largest industrial operation in Europe. Two companies who operate here, VTTV and Vassiliko Cement, spoke to us about their supply chain operations and corporate cooperation. In addition to presentations from both companies, we also got an exciting tour around the facilities. The premises has facilities for cement operations, oil operations, and even a port for import and export!
First, Vassiliko Cement spoke to us, and walked us through the process of making cement. First raw materials, like clay and limestone are mined from quarries which Vassiliko owns and operates. Then the raw materials go through a series of crushing, mixing, and purification. This initially creates clinker, a part of cement materials. Vassiliko utilizes their port to export this clinker, and also to receive more raw materials to continue the comment making process. The clinker and other products undergo a multitude of combustion and purification processes before the final cement product is stored in silos, packaged, and shipped out. One thing I found interesting was Vassilikos goal to increase the usage of alternative fuel sources in their combustion and manufacturing processes. These alternative fuel sources can be reused trash, wood, and even chopped tires. I wish I could learn more about how these specific sources were discovered as viable fuel sources. I also would be interested in seeing if these sources are as efficient in the combustion and manufacturing process as conventional fuels.
Vassilikos also allowed us to see their side of the port. I thought it was interesting to learn that they mostly contract out the larger industrial machines. We got to see a few of their boats, and conveyor belts which can move raw materials and final products onto boats. Unlike the port we visited yesterday, this port doesn’t deal with commercial or hospitality services. Overall, I enjoyed seeing this smaller yet impressive industrial port!
Next, we talked to a collaborator of Vassilikos, VTTV. They deal with oil storage and further processing, utilizing the port to transport these fuels via pipe and boat. It was interesting to hear about their position on the supply chain. VTTV doesn’t mine crude oil or sell the product to the end customer, they act more as a “middle man” by selling a more purified product to oil brokers and large companies. On the tour, I enjoyed seeing the part of the port which VTTV operates out of. Their side of the port can accommodate larger vessels. The view was also very beautiful!
Finally, we visited a research and development facility, CMMI. At CMMI we learned about a variety of their projects, many of which relate to marine sustainability. As an aspiring chemical engineer, this was one of the most interesting and relevant companies to my career, especially since I am interested in potentially pursuing sustainability certification. I also hope to do some sort of undergraduate research involving chemical engineering and sustainability in the future at Pitt. One of the researchers spoke about her project working with developing marine based extracts, such as algae extract, for food and medicinal uses. Additionally, CMMI does a lot of work with AI and automation. The robotics team is creating a fully automated jet ski, called sea centaurs, which can take water samples, mitigate pollutants and oil spills, and perform rescue missions. I enjoyed hearing about current research around marine sustainability in Cyprus.
