Displaying items by tag: Refuse Derived Fuel

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.”

Philippines: Aboitiz Equity Ventures and CRH subsidiary Republic Cement says that it is seeking partners to supply it with plastic waste, which it can co-process as refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The Business World newspaper has reported that the company has set a target of 10m plastic bags/day by 2021.

President and chief executive officer Nabil Francis said, “We would like to commit to a very ambitious target next year, and this target is to co-process not less than 10m equivalent of plastic bags/day, starting from the very beginning of next year.” Angela Edralin-Valencia, the resource recovery director of Republic Cement’s Ecoloop division, said, "It's going to be double what we are currently doing, and it's just the beginning.”

South Korea: SungShin Cement has placed an order with Denmark-based FLSmidth for the supply of two HotPlate combustion devices for installation in lines three and six of its SungShin cement plant. The plant is in the transition from coal fuel to the possibility of 100% alternative fuel (AF) use in the two lines, which it plans to commission in mid and late 2021 respectively.

Team manager of production technology Cho K-R said, “With its degree of flexibility, the HotDisc allows us to substitute coal with a wide range of AFs – refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in our case. As we turn waste into energy, the HotDisc lowers our operating costs without compromising energy efficiency.”

FLSmidth previously delivered two HotDiscs to South Korea, to SsangYong’s Donghae and Yeongwool cement plants.

Ireland: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a new date of 2 December 2020 for the hearing of objections against Irish Cement’s refuse-derived fuel (RDF) substitution plans at its Limerick plant. It was postponed from May 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to the Irish Examiner newspaper. The hearing will take place remotely due to local coronavirus-related social distancing rules.

Irish Cement received its preliminary licence to burn up to 90,000t/yr of RDF at its Limerick plant in September 2019. However, the agency has allowed an oral hearing due to local feeling on the matter. In a separate incident the integrated plant was previously fined Euro4000 for dust emissions in late 2018.

UAE: Belgium-based Besix, Finland-based Griffin Refineries and Tech Group Echo subsidiary Emirates RDF has announced the start of production at its 365,000t/yr-capacity refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant in Umm Al Quwain, according to Trade Arabia News. General manager Nicolaas de Koning said, “Emirates RDF is delighted that, after intensive cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the Ministry of Presidential Affairs President’s Initiatives Committee, the RDF facility has launched the production of high-quality alternative fuel for factories in the region.”

Philippines: Cemex Holdings Philippines has announced the signing of a partnership agreement for the supply of post-consumer plastic waste by foods producer Nestlé Philippines as fuel for co-processing in Cemex Holdings Philippines’ cement plants. The Manila Bulletin has reported that the deal is part of Nestlé’s efforts towards achieving zero packaging waste globally by 2025.

Cemex Holdings Philippines president and CEO Ignacio Mijares Elizondo said, “We recognise and gladly support Nestlé’s commitment to tackling plastic waste. Cemex and Nestlé have a shared vision to make a significant difference and contribute to the economic, social and environmental growth of the Philippines. A green environment will always be at the centre of Cemex Holdings Philippines’ ‘Build A Nation Together’ corporate social responsibility efforts. Our advocacies are dedicated to uplift lives and communities and to protect the environment.”

Netherlands: N+P has awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract for a 170t/yr SubCoal refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant in Farmsum, Groningen Province to Germany-based Sutco RecyclingTechnik. The plant, scheduled for commissioning in early 2021, will occupy the site of an existing N+P SubCoal production facility, acquired by the company in 2012.

It said that the new plant will be equipped “to allow further control of key fuel parameters such as chlorine, sulphur and, nitrogen.” It added, “N+P has developed and fine-tuned the SubCoal production method, resulting in plans for a new layout to implement the lessons learned over the past 10 years.” Managing Director David Driessen said, “The decision of the board to go ahead with a full new-build is a clear sign of our ambition to grow and expand across the globe.”

Indonesia: Solusi Bangun, the Public Works and Housing Ministry, the Environment and Forestry Ministry, the Danish International Development Agency, and the Central Javan and Cilacap administrations have inaugurated an 18,300t/yr-capacity refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant in Cilacap in the province of Central Java. The Jakarta Post has reported that the US$6.29m plant, the first of its kind in Indonesia, will process 120t/day of municipal solid waste into RDF for cement plants.

The Indonesian government is exploring ways to increase the uptake of RDF production as a waste management alternative across the country and is aiming to open 12 waste-fired power plants of a total power of 234MW by 2022.

Netherlands: N+P has reported the successful performance of Subcoal Pulverised Alternative Fuel (PAF) quality, a type of its refuse-derived fuel (RDF) pellet product, in a series of industrial tests at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ (MHI) Research and Innovation Centre. It says the fuel “achieved a stable flame” without support fuel on a 24MW burner. In the tests, Subcoal ground by a vertical roller mill to a fineness of 90% under 3mm, was fed using existing handling systems into the burner at a rate of 4t/hr. The Netherlands-based recycling company says this proves its suitability for 100% substitution of conventional fuels for industrial applications.

N+P has also introduced the PAF grade Subcoal product to some of its clients in the cement and lime sector. It intends to research how these producers can replace the last 10 - 40% of their fossil fuel load. The first trials are expected to be carried out from late 2020.

UK: Solid recovered fuel (SRF) specialist Andusia has announced the signing of a supply contract for 10,000t/yr of SRF to “a cement plant in the Mediterranean.” The company said, “The deal only further reinforces Andusia’s position in the market as the UK’s largest independent exporter of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), SRF and, more recently, hazardous and clinical waste.”