Today we visited both Titan Cement and the Athens International Airport. The two companies are very different, yet have similar ideals when it comes to sustainability and working towards a better society. We first visited Titan Cement, a company that produces cement and clinker in Greece and multiple other nations. In the cement-making process, the most important step is creating the clinker from raw materials, but it is also the most environmentally harmful step. Fuel must be used to bring the raw materials to extremely high temperatures in the kiln, which produces emissions. To reduce emissions and become more sustainable, Titan has been working towards using renewable energy sources, such as used tires and dried sewage sludge, rather than coal, and currently use about 50% alternative fuel sources. Along with this, they are researching ways to use less clinker in the cement to reduce the amount of clinker that needs to be made to further reduce the carbon emissions produced in the cement-making process. As a chemical engineer, I found this visit incredibly interesting, and it enlightened me on the ways that chemical engineering and sustainability go hand-in-hand.

Next, we saw the airport’s massive solar farm, a truly impressive feat in the realm of sustainability. The airport’s solar farm produces enough energy to power every part in every building in the airport, have electric buses, and have some electricity to spare. On an average summer day, the solar farm produces enough energy to power 25 homes for an entire year. Along with the sustainability aspects, we also learned about airport operations within the terminal and the importance of working with users, such as people visiting the airport. Positive attitude, professionalism, and compassion are very important qualities when working with customers in order to get the best results possible.

As a future chemical engineer, I hope to be able to contribute sustainable practices in the field to ensure the world is a healthy and safe place to live. Along with this, I will apply what I learned from the airport terminal management meeting to my interactions with customers to ensure both their success and my own, as well as foster a positive society.