Displaying items by tag: Argentina

Argentina: Geocycle has commissioned the new Line 2 of its Piedra Blanca waste management plant, Norte En Linea News has reported. The facility will now process 100,000t/yr of waste. Geocycle will supply the remaining 45% fraction of unsorted waste after processing to Holcim Argentina's Malagueño cement plant for use as refuse-derived fuel (RDF). By diverting non-recyclable waste from incineration, Geocycle says that the new line will eliminate 25,000t/yr of CO₂ emissions.

Argentina: Geocycle is working to double the municipal solid waste (MSW) processing capacity of its facility in Yocsina, close to Córdoba, from 50,000t/yr to 100,000t/yr. The subsidiary of Holcim receives waste from surrounding settlements like Piedra Blanca and Villa Carlos Paz. So far in 2023, Holcim Argentina's cement plant kilns are using an average of 13% refuse-derived fuel (RDF), almost twice as much as in 2022.. The company is committed to raising the percentage to 46% by 2026.

"With this station, we are moving forward with more solutions to accompany our clients and strategic partners in meeting their sustainability and circular economy objectives, innovating in the integrated management of waste, recovering it and reinserting it into a new industry that, through our processes, will become part of a new product," commented Christian Dedeu, chief executive officer of Holcim in Argentina.

Argentina: Holcim Argentina says that it will invest US$40m in capital expenditure in 2022. It plans to invest US$15m in its cement and concrete operations and US$15m in its subsidiary Geocycle's three waste management plants, which supply alternative fuel (AF) for its cement production. Of the remainder, US$5m will go towards the construction of a new dry mortars plant in Córdoba, which the company plans to inaugurate in December 2022.

In 2021, Geocycle processed 140,000t of waste into AF and raw materials for cement production.

Argentina: Holcim Argentina achieved 8.4% alternative fuel (AF) substitution in its cement production in its cement production in 2021. That year, it reduced its CO₂ emissions per tonne of cementitious material by 4.2% compared to 2017, to 505kg/t from 527kg/t.

Waste management partner Geocycle processed 140,000t of waste in 2021, up by 20% from 2020 levels. This included 4000t of waste tyres, which alone eliminated 2300t of CO₂ emissions. Geocycle inaugurated Argentina’s first municipal solid waste (MSW) classification facility in Córdoba in November 2021.

Argentina: Geocycle plans to double the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) production capacity of its Piedra Blanca waste management plant in Córdoba in order to process up to 100,000t/yr of waste into RDF. The Holcim subsidiary will invest US$5m in the expansion. The plant received 78,600t of industrial waste, 57,000t of urban waste and 4400t of waste tyres in 2021 and produced RDF for co-processing in Holcim Argentina’s Jujuy, Malagueño and Mendoza cement plants’ cement production. The work includes the construction of a new 200m access road using EcoPact reduced-CO₂ concrete. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2022.

General manager Mariano Bollo said "We started in 2020 with a small plant. In 2021 we expanded it, and in 2022 we are doubling its capacity. In the coming months and years, we will grow even more.” Bollow expressed his hope to process 100% of all waste received at the site into RDF.

Argentina: LafargeHolcim waste management subsidiary Geocycle has begun shredding waste at its Córdoba co-processing plant using a new Untha XR3000C one-step shredder supplied by Austria-based Untha. The shredder will produce refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for use at LafargeHolcim’s Córdoba cement plant. It is the 10th Untha shredder Geocycle has commissioned.

Director Mariano Bollo said, “Geocycle Argentina is no stranger to waste shredding for alternative fuel (AF) production. We previously used a dual-shaft machine manufactured by a competitor of Untha’s, but the capacity and reliability of our machine continued to cause us problems. Untha’s low speed, high torque drive means this is a powerful machine with impressive uptime, ease of maintenance and proven capabilities. This – combined with the shredder’s versatility – meant the business case to switch to an XR was strong. While we think carefully about every decision we make, to ensure each shredder we invest in has absolutely the right configuration for every single plant, we now run a number of Untha machines across our global group,” continued Mariano. “The whole life operating costs of this shredder are extremely low, which means we can consistently produce a profitable, environmentally-sound fuel. It therefore comes as little surprise that we’re looking to standardise the technology we use across our business. This has benefits when it comes to procuring and sharing spare and wear parts too. Working in collaboration with Untha’s local engineering specialists, Geocycle is now optimising the design and layout of the waste processing line to double throughputs in early 2021. This XR investment aligns with our global AF production strategy, which doesn’t just improve our cement manufacturing footprint worldwide – it transforms the environmental status of our local communities too.”

Argentina: Geocycle Argentina has appointed Mariano Bollo as its national manager. He is a chemical engineer and holds an MBA from the Catholic University of Salta, according to the El Diario de Carlos Paz newspaper. He began his career at Holcim Argentina in 2006, holding roles at its plants in Jujuy, Mendoza, Córdoba and Buenos Aires.

Argentina: LafargeHoclim’s Malagueño plant has started processing municipal waste from Villa Carlos Paz since mid-June 2019. An agreement between the city government and the company was signed following the endorsement of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of the Province, according to the La Voz newspaper. Non-recyclable dry solid urban waste is delivered from the city to a Geocycle Argentina unit before being used as an alternative fuel at the integrated cement plant.

Argentina: Geocycle has signed a three-year deal with the Province of Mendoza to use tyres at LafargeHolcim’s Capdeville cement plant. Geocycle has spent Euro1.15m on preparing a unit to process the tyres, according to the Los Andes newspaper. The waste management subsidiary of LafargeHolcim has also worked with the local government on setting up collection points for residents to leave old tyres. Geocycle conducted a similar project in Jujuy province in 2018 and it plans to run a similar one in Cordoba province.

Argentina: Geocycle Argentina has signed a framework agreement with the Ministry of Environment to co-process tyres at Holcim Argentina’s Capdeville cement plant in Las Heras. The arrangement is also intended to minimise population’s levels of the Aedes aegypti or yellow fever mosquito, according to MDZ Online. Improper disposal of tyres and the subsequent accumulation of water can lead to higher breeding levels of the mosquito. The insect is a vector in the transmission of the Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya viruses.