CAIRO, Feb 16 (Aswat Masriya) - Suez Cement Companies Group and the Italian Italcementi Group inaugurated the first waste treatment plant in Egypt on Sunday with investments that amount to about five million Euros.

The project is part of the Suez Cement Company strategy to increase the amount of energy which it gets from fuel derived from waste.

The project uses around 45 thousand tons of household waste to produce 35 thousand tons of alternative fuel annually.

"The project will use the latest equipment and technologies available in this area," said Egypt's Minister of Environment Laila Eskander.

Egypt's Ministry of Environment Affairs opposes the import of coal due to its negative effects on the environment and the health of individuals.

Coal is not among the alternatives for solving the energy crisis in Egypt currently, Eskander had stated earlier.

The Suez Cement Company has been suffering from an energy crisis yet it decided to respect the Egyptian laws and to contribute to solving the problem of waste as well, the minister said.