Votorantim Cimentos installs chlorine bypass at Vidal Ramos plant

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has installed a chlorine bypass at its integrated Vidal Ramos plant in Santa Catarina. The US$10m upgrade is intended to allow the unit to process more alternative fuels such as plastics, fabrics and personal protective equipment. The company says it is the first such installation in the country. It will allow the plant to increase its co-processing volumes by 62% to 73,000t/yr from 45,000t/yr. In 2021 the plant used 65,000t of petcoke. This is expected to fall to 53,000t/yr with the addition of the chlorine bypass, reducing CO₂ emissions by 5% or 12,200t.