Displaying items by tag: Irish Cement

Ireland: The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) says it requires more information on Irish Cement’s plans to use alternative fuels and raw materials at its Limerick plant before it can grant it a licence. The request has delayed the decision by the environmental body on whether the cement producer can co-process alternative fuels at the site.

It has asked the cement producer to provide more information on: waste acceptance capacity; raw materials, intermediates, products used or generated on-site; best available technology; emissions to atmosphere; human health; hydrology and hydrogeology; appropriate assessment; accidents and disasters; and baseline reports. The EPA added that before it could conduct a licence review it must out a ‘thorough’ environmental assessment of the proposals in the review application, including an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and an appropriate assessment. The EPA also said that it had received over 3500 individual public submissions on the application by Irish Cement.

Irish Cement wants to implement a Euro10m upgrade to its plant. This will include the development of land to facilitate on site handling, storage and introduction of alternative fuels with conveyor, storage tanks, uploading station, handling building, cooling tower and associated ancillary work. It first announced plans to co-process alternative fuels at the plant in late 2015.

Ireland: Irish Cement has been granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanala for its plans to burn tyres and tyres and solid recovered waste at its Limerick plant. Local councils originally approved the project in 2017 but this was appealed to the national An Bord Pleanala following local protests. Environmental groups say they will continue to fight the plan.

Ireland: Irish Cement has been designated a national priority site by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The subsidiary of CRH has been placed on a list of eight industrial sites that have failed to meet the necessary environmental standards. Six of the sites accounted for more than half of the complaints made to the EPA in 2017. The agency plans to update its priority list on a quarterly basis.

Ireland: An Bord Pleanala has decided to hold an oral hearing into Irish Cement’s plan to burn up to 0.6Mt/yr of mixed waste as an alternative fuel at its plant in Platin, County Meath. The hearing will take place on 21 November 2017 and local campaigners are hoping that a large number of local residents will turn out to listen to the submissions.

The North East Association of Environmental Groups say that the plans are 'flawed' and need to be critically examined in great detail before any planning permission or license is granted.

In a statement, Irish Cement that it was looking forward to setting out details of the application during the oral hearing. “This project seeks to replace existing fossil fuel use by increasing the quantity and range of alternative fuels used in the cement kilns in Platin,” it said. “This will reduce Platin's dependence on imported fossil fuels, reduce CO2 emissions by up to 0.3Mt/yr and will help recover valuable resources that might otherwise end up in landfill. It will allow Platin to continue to operate competitively and will support existing direct and indirect employment in the cement works.”

Ireland: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned Irish Cement to improve its environmental performance or face further sanction. The cement producer’s plant in Limerick, along with four other industrial sites belonging to other companies, have been identified on a National Priority Site List for enforcement. It added that these five sites represented less than 1% of EPA licensed sites but accounted for 8% of EPA site inspections completed so far in 2017. Three of the five sites has also accounted for over half of all complaints received to-date in 2017.

“A small number of sites have significant compliance issues and we consider them to be National Priority Sites for enforcement. The EPA will escalate enforcement action against companies and their directors, if necessary, if compliance does not improve,” said Gerard O’Leary, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement.

Ireland: An Bord Pleanála (ABP), a government planning body, will decide by 8 August 2017 on a planning appeal by Irish Cements about its proposed upgrade at its Limerick cement plant. The Euro10m upgrade includes the development of land to facilitate on site handling, storage and introduction of alternative fuels with conveyor kiln, storage tanks, uploading station, handling building, cooling tower and associated ancillary work. If the appeal is successful then the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will decide if the cement producer can have a licence to burn waste fuels at the site, according to the Limerick Leader newspaper. Irish Cements has faced local opposition against its plans for the site.

Ireland: Limerick City and County Council has given permission for Irish Cement to co-process alternative fuels at its local cement plant. Permission has been granted subject to 16 conditions, according to the Limerick Leader newspaper. The cement producer has been seeking a licence to use solid recovered waste and tyres at its plant but it has faced local opposition.

Ireland: Irish Cement has until the end of March 2017 to submit further information to the local government about its plans to upgrade its cement plant in Limerick to allow it to co-process alternative fuels. The company is waiting for planning permission for a 10-year licence to use solid recovered waste and tyres in cement production, according to the Limerick Leader newspaper. However, the application has been delayed twice following opposition by local residents.

Ireland: Limerick council’s economic committee has agreed to ask Irish Cement that it conduct a full public consultation over its plans to co-process alternative fuels, including tyres, at its cement plant. Local residents have submitted objections to the Environmental Protection Agency over the proposals, according to the Limerick Leader newspaper. However, Irish Cement has insisted its Euro10m plan for the site will have minimal environmental impact and will secure jobs at the site.

Ireland: Irish Cement is planning to cut the amount alternative fuels it intends to co-process at its Limerick cement plant to 90,000t/yr. The cement producer withdrew its initial planning application in March 2016 but has resubmitted a new application with a lower amount of alternative fuels, according to the Limerick Leader newspaper. It now aims to burn half of the original amount that was originally requested.

It originally announced its Euro10m plan to co-process alternative fuels including tyres at the plant in December 2015. The investment is intended to create 40 jobs. However, local citizens have opposed the plans with over 450 people signing a petition against the development.