Indonesia: Solusi Bangun, the Public Works and Housing Ministry, the Environment and Forestry Ministry, the Danish International Development Agency, and the Central Javan and Cilacap administrations have inaugurated an 18,300t/yr-capacity refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant in Cilacap in the province of Central Java. The Jakarta Post has reported that the US$6.29m plant, the first of its kind in Indonesia, will process 120t/day of municipal solid waste into RDF for cement plants.

The Indonesian government is exploring ways to increase the uptake of RDF production as a waste management alternative across the country and is aiming to open 12 waste-fired power plants of a total power of 234MW by 2022.

Netherlands: N+P has reported the successful performance of Subcoal Pulverised Alternative Fuel (PAF) quality, a type of its refuse-derived fuel (RDF) pellet product, in a series of industrial tests at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ (MHI) Research and Innovation Centre. It says the fuel “achieved a stable flame” without support fuel on a 24MW burner. In the tests, Subcoal ground by a vertical roller mill to a fineness of 90% under 3mm, was fed using existing handling systems into the burner at a rate of 4t/hr. The Netherlands-based recycling company says this proves its suitability for 100% substitution of conventional fuels for industrial applications.

N+P has also introduced the PAF grade Subcoal product to some of its clients in the cement and lime sector. It intends to research how these producers can replace the last 10 - 40% of their fossil fuel load. The first trials are expected to be carried out from late 2020.

UK: Solid recovered fuel (SRF) specialist Andusia has announced the signing of a supply contract for 10,000t/yr of SRF to “a cement plant in the Mediterranean.” The company said, “The deal only further reinforces Andusia’s position in the market as the UK’s largest independent exporter of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), SRF and, more recently, hazardous and clinical waste.”

Austria: Untha has announced the supply of an Untha XR3000C mobil-e primary shredder to Austrian Tyre Processes. The supplier says that the model’s twin 132kW motors produce refuse-derived fuel of a homogenous 50mm size, suitable for further processing into a cement fuel additive.

Its director of global business development Gary Moore said, “With the world’s raw materials rapidly depleting – and businesses and consumers alike demanding more environmentally responsible solutions – this is a fantastic example of clever engineering and innovative thinking coming together to change the face of the industry.”