To start off today, we went to Vassiliko Cement Works. The company operates outside the town of Zygi, and interestingly runs its own specialized port. Vassiliko shared with us the process of how cement is made. I found it particularly interesting that cement and concrete are actually different things, where cement is an ingredient in concrete. Besides cement, concrete also has rocks, sand, air and water. Additionally, the process of making cement itself is surprisingly complicated. The company operates limestone and clay quarries, these materials are crushed and blended to form clinker (an intermediate product). Clinker can then be heated with gypsum to form cement. I had no idea this much time/resources go into making a substance I assumed to be “basic” or easy to produce. They also shared that carbon emissions are inherent in this process; no cement company will ever be able to have 0 emissions. While this is unfortunate, the company minimizes emissions by using the latest technology in their cement mill. It was also interesting to think about the scale of Vassiliko’s operations. When tithing their facilities, we saw massive million-dollar machinery that highly optimizes the process of making cement. As an inspiring IE I have been paying high attention to the automation companies have been employing; these automated machines must be so productive that it justifies the cost.

While in Zygi we also got to meet with VTTV, a company that specializes in the logistics and storage of oil products. They located themselves in Cyprus since they are close to the Suez Canal which brings a great deal of ship traffic. Their operations act as both a distribution center for oil and a stockpile of inventory in case of a shortage. They also sell some oil products to local consumers. These products are transported by trucks. Their other main costumer is oil traders, this oil is transported by ship. What is found most interesting about the company is that they don’t need a full dock to operate. Instead, oil can be loaded onto the ships from a smaller jetty via pipeline. This is much more efficient than operating a full dock and cranes, which would be needed for other cargo. Since this method of loading ships is more efficient, it is also more sustainable. Loading the cargo ships with oil by truck, for example, would be much less sustainable due to the CO2 emitted by trucks.

We finished our day with a visit to CMMI, Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute. They presented various research they are conducting. I was most interested in the research of aquaculture, they shared that novel discovered have revealed microplastics in farmed fish (improving aquaculture is very important in sustainability, as overfishing is one of the leading causes of marine habitat destruction). New research is looking for ways to minimize these microplastics, but often using some plastic is inevitable. I also had a very interesting conversation with one of the researchers named Mike. He shared that despite having his undegrad in mechanical engineering, he now does research in other disciplines. It’s nice to have it reinforced that I don’t have to “have it all figured out” already, and that I have the option to pursue other things I may want to in the future.

Throughout my career, I see sustainability playing a crucial role in anything I do. Almost every company we have visited has said something about sustainability. To be honest, I feel that a lot of what we have heard have been”buzz words” intended for good press- but that doesn’t make sustainability any less important. As an IE, perhaps I will be tasked with making operations more sustainable rather than more efficient, for example. I am sure that a good portion of my work as an IE will be dedicated to integrating new sustainable technologies into existing systems.