Global CemFuels News

South Korea: ThyssenKrupp Polysius’ Asia Pacific division has won an order to supply a Prepol SC type step combustion chamber for an unnamed cement plant in South Korea. The scope of the contract includes engineering, mechanical equipment and some modifications to the preheater tower. The commissioning of the system is planned for the end of 2023.

Regional chief executive officer Lukas Schoeneck said “The current turbulence on the coal market create a lot of pressure in cement plants to significantly increase the efforts on alternative fuels. Especially when talking high thermal substitution rates and lower quality alternative fuels, combustion chamber technologies connected to the calciner – like the Prepol SC - are the most suitable solution in the cement industry. Congratulations to the colleagues in Germany and in Asia working on this project.”

Nigeria: Dangote Cement says that it raised the thermal substitution rate of alternative fuels (AF) in its group cement production by 25% year-on-year in the first half of 2022. It co-processed 67,200t of locally-sourced waste in its operations during the half.

CEO Michel Puchercos said “Although significant increases in energy and AGO costs are impacting production, we are strengthening our efforts to ramp up the usage of AF. Our on-going Alternative Fuel Project aims to leverage waste management solutions, reduce CO₂ emissions and source material locally.”

Thailand: Siam Cement Group (SCG) increased its thermal substitution rate of alternative fuels (AF) to 31% in 2022, compared to 26% in 2021. In 2020 it reported an AF substitution rate of 18%.

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."

US: Vicat subsidiary National Cement Company of Alabama inaugurated its new US$300m production line at its Ragland cement plant on 21 July 2022. Local press has reported that the line includes a new rotary kiln, equipped for alternative fuel (AF) use.

President Spencer Weitman said “This puts us into the next 40 or 50 years. And it’s prolonged the life of the plant to move us forward into the next entry hopefully.”