Displaying items by tag: study

Taiwan: Asia Cement Corporation tested its waste wind turbine blade processing capacities using 12t of blades earlier in November 2023. The cement producer had previously processed 9t of waste turbine blades for use in its plants up to the end of October 2023. Asia Cement Corporation says that the waste consists of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP), which is 60% silicon dioxide, calcium oxide and aluminium oxide and 40% polyester. The polyester can replace fossil fuels as alternative fuel (AF) for cement plants, while the other chemical compounds can serve as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs).

UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has announced the successful completion of a trial of cement production using a net-zero fuel mix consisting of hydrogen and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) at Hanson’s Ribblesdale, Lancashire, cement plant. The RDF in the mix consists of meat and bone meal (MBM) from the food industry and glycerol from biodiesel production.

Increased alternative fuel (AF) substitution is one of seven key levers in the MPA’s Roadmap Beyond Net Zero emissions reduction strategy. The association says that the fuel will eliminate 180,000t/yr of CO₂ emissions from the Ribblesdale plant’s operations when fully implemented. The project received Euro3.71m in government funding.

Hanson’s environmental sustainability manager Iain Walpole said “We are delighted to be involved with this world-leading project, which is a further example of our commitment to cutting CO₂ emissions.” He added “It will also contribute to our ambition of supplying net zero carbon concrete by 2050.”

UK: Germany-based HeidelbergCement’s subsidiary Hanson Cement will be the subject of a study in the use of biomass and hydrogen fuels coordinated by the Mineral Products Association. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is funding the Euro3.81m study, the results of which it says will be shared across the cement industry. HeidelbergCement CEO Dominik von Achten said, "In addition to our activities in the field of carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS), this project is an important step towards realising our vision of carbon-neutral concrete by 2050.”

Thailand: Siam Cement has engaged the US-based Dow to conduct a study of types of waste plastic suitable for sorting. Dow’s chief executive officer (CEO) Jim Fitterling has estimated that locally sourced pre-used plastics can supply a commercial renewable feedstock operation at a rate of 0.2 – 0.3Mt/yr. The Bangkok Post has reported that the scale on which the two companies would seek to expand any operations depend on volumes of available waste. Nikkei has reported that Thailand generates 1.03Mt/yr of plastic, over 3% of which passes into the World’s oceans.

China: Researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have produced clinker by burning fuel containing 20% post-consumer wood-derived fuel (WDF), reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 16% compared to the same fuel blend without WDF, at no cost to product quality. VerticalNews has reported that the combustion also emitted mercury, cadmium, thallium and other heavy metals respectively at a rate of 2%, 21%, 6% and 7% of China’s specified limits.

The findings follow research from Tsinghua University aimed at ascertaining the total process-related, direct fossil fuel-related and indirect electricity-related emissions of China’s cement sector. Since the government committed to a reduction compared to its 2005 per capita CO2 emissions of 40 - 45% by 2020 and 60 - 65% by 2030, China’s cement-related emissions peaked in 2014. The research, funded by various Chinese public bodies as well as the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Natural Environment Research Council, indicated that historical emissions growth was driven by economic growth, offset in recent years by improved intensity and efficiency. The outsourcing of cement capacities to less developed regions with less accurate recording methods may have precipitated the trend.

Bio-derived fuels from the growing consumer sector may help China to establish itself as an innovator of green cement solutions.