Displaying items by tag: Energy

Thailand: Saraburi, which houses Thailand’s key cement plants, is expected to start converting waste to energy in a project led by the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA). TCMA has developed a pilot project to create ‘ignitable waste pallets’, which will replace imported coal in cement production, according to TCMA chair Dr Chana Poomee. The process involves using waste from mining, cement plants and local communities to produce fuel, focusing on waste that cannot be reused or recycled.

Seven cement plants are located in the Tan Diao subdistrict due to its proximity to limestone mountains essential for cement production. The province is facing a growing waste management problem, owing to urbanisation and the expansion of agribusiness in the area. ‘Saraburi Sandbox’ project, a public-private-people partnership (PPP), seeks to address these issues.

Kittipong Promwong, president of the National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Office, believes the Saraburi Sandbox is crucial to the government's commitment to lowering CO₂ emissions.

Ukraine: The construction of an upcoming waste processing plant in Derhachi, Kharkiv Oblast, is 97% complete. The plant will process 250,000t/yr of waste and create 152 new jobs. Eco Politic News has reported that the plant will also collect landfill gas, which will be used in power generation.

The Ukrainian State Environmental Inspectorate said “Kharkiv is not only one of the largest cities in Ukraine, but also located in the frontline zone, so effective waste management in the city is an indicator not only of environmental awareness but also of readiness for crisis situations.”

US: National Cement Company of Alabama has reported that the new kiln line at its Ragland cement plant will reduce the plant’s CO₂ emissions by 40%. Its energy consumption will also fall by 30% as a result of the upgrade. The new line includes a 78m-high homogenisation silo, vertical crusher, five-stage preheater and automated clay storage system. AF used in the kiln will include waste tyres, woodchip and sawdust. The new kiln will help in the Ragland cement plant’s transition to 100% Portland limestone cement (PLC) production by 2023, further diminishing its carbon footprint.

Vicat CEO Guy Sidos said "Our ambition is to use AF in all our cement plants around the world. In addition to eliminating fossil fuel energy and replacing it with recycled regional waste, our investments contribute directly to local development. We are proud of the modernisation and transformation of our Ragland site, which was our very first acquisition outside France in 1974."

Peru: FLSmidth has secured a contract for the supply of a new pyro line for Cementos Pacasmayo’s Pacasmayo cement plant near Lima. The new line will give the plant an additional production capacity of 0.6Mt/yr. The supplier says that it plans to install a Cross-Bar cooler, low-NOx calciner, Jetflex burner, equipment for dosing and feeding and process automation. FLSmidth says that the upgrade will reduce the plant’s energy consumption and open new opportunities for the use of alternative fuel (AF).

FLSmidth’s head of projects and upgrades and senior vice president Anders Josefsen said “We are very excited to work with Cementos Pacasmayo on this project – not only on growing the business, but doing it in a sustainable way. The new line will be equipped with a state-of-the-art pyro system including several of our MissionZero solutions. With this, Pacasmayo makes a significant investment in future-proofing its production.” He added “The Pacasmayo project is a prime example of our capabilities within process design: ensuring the integration to an existing plant, while also demonstrating our ability to deliver equipment that meets demands for energy and fuel efficiency.”

UK: Helvellyn Group, a manufacturer of high energy, low impact solid fuels, has announced the official launch of its cement industry direct coal replacement product in Europe.

Helvellyn has chosen the Global Cemfuels Conference (Paphos, Cyprus 19 - 20 February 2020) as the location for the launch and will be sponsoring the event as well as attending in person.

Helvellyn solid fuels are designed to meet the needs of hard to adapt large industrial plants that are seeking to reduce, or even eliminate, their reliance on coal. The fuels are manufactured to replicate the physical and combustion properties of coal, while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with mining, transporting and burning fossil fuels.

This latest renewable coal replacement fuel has been developed to address the specific needs of cement producers, many of whom have already introduced alternative fuels but are now struggling to increase the ratio due to physical, chemical and technical constraints.

Helvellyn’s product allows operators to maintain their existing alternative fuel mix while, in most instances, adding Helvellyn fuel as a direct drop-in replacement for coal from the point of delivery through pre-combustion processing and in combustion.

The Helvellyn fuel for cement production is based on four core principals, high energy, low moisture, low chlorine and ease of handling. While exact fuel specification and presentation can be fine-tuned to meet the specific needs of a given plant, fuel is typically presented as 50mm hard, hydrophobic lumps with the following properties: energy >25kJ/kg (10,750btu/lb, 5.97kcal/kg); ash content <6%; moisture <2%; chlorine <0.07%; carbon >60%; sulphur <0.2%; nitrogen <0.4%.

Frank Harris, CEO of Helvellyn Group, said, “We are delighted to be launching this important product at the Global Cemfuels Conference 2020. The cement industry has shown innovation and leadership in utilising alternative fuels and we believe we can help them to meet the challenges of the next decade as they further reduce the environmental impact of their product. We are excited to meet with the industry and let it see our fuel for the very first time - it is like nothing they will have seen before.”

Egypt: Investments worth US$30bn in the coal industry are expected to be conducted within the next five years, according to Egypt's investment minister Ashraf Salman.

Salman said that there is 'full coordination' between the ministries of environment, electricity and investment to adhere to international environmental standards when using coal. Egypt's cabinet announced new rules on coal use in April 2015, which stipulate that coal imports can only take place after approval from the ministry of environment. The new rules are an amendment to a law on environmental affairs and allow the use of coal for cement, iron and steel, coke and aluminium production and in power plants.

Salman said that using coal as an energy source would decrease the dependency on natural gas as a primary energy source and petroleum products in steel and cement production. Despite the energy crisis, which has caused frequent and numerous power outages for years, the cabinet's approval of new coal use has caused controversy both within the government and outside.