Austria: Loesche subsidiary A TEC has won a contract for the supply and installation of a Flash Dryer for alternative fuels (AFs) in the kiln line of Lafarge Zementwerke's 1.1Mt/yr Mannersdorf cement plant in Lower Austria. The supplier said that it will complete the project in early 2021.

The company said, “Reaching high thermal substitution rates (TSR) requires firing of alternative fuels at the kiln burner. To reach a stable sintering zone for the required clinker quality a high fuel quality (high LCV, small particle size) is needed, otherwise the clinker quality may suffer or the TSR can be limited. With the A TEC Flash Dryer various waste heat sources can be used (clinker cooler flue gas, bypass gas, preheater gas, etc.). The material is dosed to the hot gas flow in the flash dryer and transported with this gas flow, while the moisture is evaporated, to a cyclone and a subsequent filter where the fuel is separated from the gas flow and on-line fed to a kiln burner or a satellite burner. In addition to the drying the lifting effect of the gas can separate 3D impurities which contributes in a further increase of the fuel quality.”

Indonesia: The La Tofi School of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has named Semen Indonesia as the winner in three categories at the Nusantara CSR Awards 2020, including Community Involvement in Handling Waste. Indonesia Government News has reported that the award acknowledges the company’s uptake of practices and technologies to increase the alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate. It partnered with Jakarta Province Environment Agency (DLH) and Unilever Indonesia to co-process domestic waste from the Bantargebang waste disposal site as fuel for cement plants.

Italy: Waste management company Entsorga has offered a prototype near infrared technology (NIR) separator to the Saturno research project into manufacturing organic waste and CO₂ into biofuels, bio-fertilisers and biochemicals. The scheme brings together 25 partner organisations, including cement manufacturer Buzzi Unicem. The prototype sorter will be used by Gaia, a waste management company based in the Province of Asti, to sort residual plastics and to remove polyvinyl chloride (PVC) fractions with higher chlorine content. Plastics that cannot be reused will then be passed to cement plants as an alternative fuel.

US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has named Beumer Group winner of its Chairman’s Manufacturing Performance Award 2020. The award is for economical and sustainable operations. It acknowledges Beumer Group’s alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR) systems business unit’s achievements in supporting cement producers with complete systems to supply calciners and main burners with alternative fuels and raw materials, the main component of which is the pipe conveyor. "I am very honoured to receive this recognition on behalf of Beumer Group,” said Brian Giese, Beumer Corporation Director of Business Development, Conveying & Loading. "It demonstrates our commitment to support cement manufacturers in their efforts to make production greener and more sustainable."

Business development, conveying and loading director Brian Giese said, "I am very honoured to receive this recognition on behalf of Beumer Group. It demonstrates our commitment to support cement manufacturers in their efforts to make production greener and more sustainable."