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."

Canada: The Capital Regional District (CRD) in British Colombia has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ḱenes Transportation, a Wsáneć First Nations partnership company, to contract the transportation of biomass produced at a sewage treatment unit at Hartland Landfill to Lafarge Canada’s Richmond cement plant. The dehydrated biofuel made from treated wastewater is then coprocessed as an alternative fuel at the integrated cement plant. The agreement will last up to five years while the CRD develops long term plans for the biosolids, according to the Times Colonist newspaper.

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.