“Environmental Policy & Environment Management Systems” 2 -month intensive training course, Japan.

In June-July 2002, Ing. Marco Cremona participated in a 2-month training course regarding Environmental Policy & Environment Management Systems sponsored by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) in Osaka, Japan.

JICA is the executing body of the Japanese Government in the provision of official development assistance to developing countries. JICA conducts training, dispatch of experts, provision of equipment, project-type technical cooperation, development study, dispatch of cooperation volunteers, survey and administration of capital grant aid programmes. The training programme for overseas participants is one of JICA’s fundamental technical cooperation activities for developing countries. The administrative body in Malta for the JICA programme is the Ministry of Home Affairs which is also responsible for the selection of the participating candidates.

Ing Cremona, who was selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to represent Malta, received theoretical and practical intensive training on global environmental conservation initiatives and measures taken by the Japanese government in environmental management.

The course contents were devised by the Global Environment Centre Foundation (GEC), which was established in January 1992 to support the activities of the International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Acting as the collection point of information on environmental technology and comprehensive environmental management in the large cities of Japan and overseas, GEC facilitates the transfer of environmentally sound technology to developing countries.

The training course comprised a series of lectures from the 3^rd June to the 25^th July 2002. The topics covered aspects in environmental management such as environmental policy and planning in Japan, environmental impact assessment (EIA), sustainable development for coastal zones and small islands, and pollution control. The course also provided participants with an intensive one-week session on Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001 international standard), culminating in an examination which is the first step towards the participants becoming internationally-certified environmental auditors. After having successfully completed these examinations in Japan, Ing. Cremona is in a position to offer local private-sector firms and public agencies with guidance and auditing of EMS systems to ISO14001 international standard using the UNEP-IETC’s Urban Environmental Management : Environmental Management System Training Resource Kit and IEMA (Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment) –approved study materials provided during the course.

Participation in a Biogas International Conference and Study Tour – Germany

In June-July 2003, Sustech Consulting participated in a conference and study tour held in Ausburg, Germany organised by the IBBK (Internationales Biogas und Bioenergie Kompetenzzentrum).

The theme of the bi-annual international conference was “Anaerobic Digestion of Organic Residues and Energy Crops”. The Conference was also accompanied by a field trip on the 28^th June in Bavaria, and a one-week study tour of various biogas installations in the south of Germany.

Biogas production is a proven but ingenious process to produce energy, in the form of heat and/or electricity, from animal waste, food residues and other biodegradable matter. The process essentially utilises animal waste to produce two useful products; a fuel (which can then be used to produce electricity) and an organic fertilizer.

Through our participation in the conference and study tour, Sustech obtained a thorough insight of the technical, political and commercial status of biogas technology in Germany, Europe and the rest of the world, as well as the problems and opportunities faced by biogas plant operators within the EU.

Ing. Marco Cremona attended the conference, field trip and study tour on behalf of Sustech Consulting. During his stay Ing. Cremona has established contacts with representatives from various companies and institutes from around the world (and from Germany, in particular) and it is considered that these contacts and the knowledge gained from the congress and study tour would prove to be priceless in Sustech’s endeavour to develop and implement biogas technology in Malta and elsewhere.

“Water and Wastewater Treatment” training programme,  Singapore, August 2003.

In August 2003, Ing. Marco Cremona participated in a two-week training programme in water treatment sponsored by the Small Islands Developing States Technical Cooperation Programme (SIDSTEC) of Singapore.

The Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) was established in 1992 with the aim of providing technical assistance and information dissemination to other developing countries. The SCP brings the various technical assistance programmes offered by Singapore under one framework. Since 1992, Singapore has sponsored training courses and study visits for over 22,000 officials from some 150 developing countries in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean. The administrative body in Malta for the SCP programme is the Ministry of Home Affairs which is also responsible for the selection of the participating candidates.

Ing Cremona was selected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to represent Malta, received theoretical and practical training on various water management techniques, ranging from planning, design and construction of drainage systems to water conservation and water demand management to wastewater treatment and re-use.

The course was delivered by officials of the Public Utilities Board (PUB) which is the comprehensive water authority in Singapore. PUB is responsible for the stormwater drainage network, the potable water supply system and sewage treatment in Singapore. Singapore boasts the lowest rate of unaccounted-for water in the world with a figure of less than 5% of total production. Other milestones are the re-use of treated sewage in augmenting the potable water supply (referred to as Newater) and the operation of a state-of-the-art PUB-One one-stop customer contact centre for all of PUB’s operations.

The training course comprised a series of lectures and site visits to water treatment facilities over the two weeks from the 11th to the 22^nd August 2003. The topics covered aspects in water and wastewater management such as flood control, potable water treatment and quality monitoring, water demand management, sewerage works and water treatment plant design and operation.

The highlight of the training course was a visit to one of the Newater facilities where wastewater is treated to produce ultra-pure water suitable for use in the semiconductor industry and which is also used to augment the potable water supply. The treatment process uses advanced membrane technologies such as Microfiltration, Ultrafiltration and Reverse Osmosis, followed by disinfection using ultra-violet technology. Acceptance of Newater for human consumption followed two years of testing, in which time 20,000 comprehensive tests were undertaken. By 2012, 25 % of Singapore’s water supply will come from a combination of desalinated water and reclaimed water.