Global CemFuels News

Canada: The Cement Association of Canada (CAC) has praised the state government of Ontario’s Made-in-Ontario environment plan. The plan prioritises the phasing out of coal in industry.

President and chief executive officer (CEO) Michael Sweeney said, “Our industry has consistently advocated regulatory measures facilitating the transition from fossil fuels to low or zero-carbon fuels from materials otherwise going to landfill as a cornerstone of reducing greenhouse gases from cement manufacturing.” He continued, “Regulatory changes that remove barriers to this transition will, over time, allow the Ontario cement sector to eliminate significant greenhouse gas emissions – 1Mt in the next five years alone – as our cement plants implement new technologies. Equally important, diverting waste products from landfills will dramatically reduce landfill emissions, significantly magnifying the benefit of these measures in the fight against climate change.”

Bulgaria: HeidelbergCement subsidiary Devnya Cement is planning to invest Euro5m in two upgrades to achieve 100% alternative fuel (AF) substitution in the kiln line of its Varna cement plant. SeeNews has reported that the line, established in 2015, currently uses 60% AF.

General manager Silvio Thiede said, “We have the ambitious goal to reduce our net carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2050, at all of our plants."

Italy: The Italian cement and concrete association Federbeton says that investments in sustainable technologies in domestic cement production totalled Euro110m between 2017 and 2019, reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 311,000t in 2019 alone, up by 12% year-on-year from 278,000t in 2018. An increased alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate of 6.7% in 2019 contributed to the reduction, up by 0.7% from 6.6%. Producers’ full-year alternative fuels consumption was 1.6Mt.

Spain: The Municipal Planning Department of Córdoba (GMU) has repealed Cementos Cosmos’ licence to burn alternative fuels in the cement kiln of its integrated Córdoba plant because it “goes against the provisions of the current General Urban Development Plan”, according to Europa Press. The decision marks a victory for local campaign group Córdoba Aire Limpio, which has been campaigning to stop waste being burned at the cement plant since a previous authorisation was issued in 2007.

UAE: Bee’ah has secured a solid recovered fuel (SRF) supply contract with Sharjah Cement. Emirates News Agency has reported that the contract covers the supply of at least 73,000t/yr for the period over which it is in effect.

Pravinchandra Bataviasaid, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Bee’ah, said "Companies and industries in the UAE must work together to realise new efficiencies and achieve the country’s sustainability objectives. We thank Bee’ah for its support and provision of a more environmentally responsible fuel that will allow us to reduce our carbon emissions and improve our environmental performance. With this agreement and other on-going arrangements with Bee’ah and other public and private sector establishments, Sharjah Cement will replace more than 30% of fossil fuel with alternative fuels.”

When it commissions its latest waste-to-energy plant in the Emirate of Sharjah in 2021, in partnership with Masdar, Bee’ah will also enable the region to meet its zero waste-to-landfill target.