Displaying items by tag: Ireland

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.

Ireland: Irish Cement has deferred its plan to co-process tyres at its Limerick cement plant. Planning was lodged in late February 2016, according to the Irish Examiner. However a spokesman for Irish Cement said that the company had noted a few days previously that the planning application had not been made available for public inspection, due to a ‘procedural’ matter. They added that the company was working with the Limerick City and Country Council to resolve the issue.

Local Green Party candidate James Gaffney raised concerns about the plant upgrade in local press in mid-March 2016. He alleged that no public consultation was being carried out on the plant’s plans and that the application was being fast-tracked. Irish Cement denied these claims.

Irish Cement announced its plan to burn alternative fuels at its Limerick plant in December 2015.

Ireland: Irish Cement will burn used tyres in a bid to cut costs and secure jobs at its Limerick plant. The company plans to switch to dry waste material such as rubber from used tyres and plastic to heat the kiln at the plant. The switch will cut costs, make the plant cleaner and more competitive, according to the company.

A spokesman for Irish Cement said that the company would shortly be lodging a planning application with Limerick City and County Council for the replacement of fossil fuels with alternative fuels and raw materials to improve the sustainability of their operations. The company will also be seeking a revision of its licence from the Environmental Protection Agency.

"Limerick is Ireland's oldest cement plant, having commenced operations 77 years ago. Its continuous operation has been sustained by continuous investment in new technologies and processes. After the recent period of reduced demand, production is once again on the increase at home and abroad for cement. This fuel replacement programme will be key to sustaining this growth," said Plant Manager Pat Robinson. "Based on experience in other cement plants in Ireland and throughout Europe, the opportunity to reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels will prove critical to our ability to operate competitively and sustain jobs at Irish Cement Limerick into the future."