Global CemFuels News

Thailand: Saraburi, which houses Thailand’s key cement plants, is expected to start converting waste to energy in a project led by the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA). TCMA has developed a pilot project to create ‘ignitable waste pallets’, which will replace imported coal in cement production, according to TCMA chair Dr Chana Poomee. The process involves using waste from mining, cement plants and local communities to produce fuel, focusing on waste that cannot be reused or recycled.

Seven cement plants are located in the Tan Diao subdistrict due to its proximity to limestone mountains essential for cement production. The province is facing a growing waste management problem, owing to urbanisation and the expansion of agribusiness in the area. ‘Saraburi Sandbox’ project, a public-private-people partnership (PPP), seeks to address these issues.

Kittipong Promwong, president of the National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Office, believes the Saraburi Sandbox is crucial to the government's commitment to lowering CO₂ emissions.

Finland: Circular materials processing equipment specialist Tana Oy has received an initial investment from the CapMan Growth Equity III fund. Other participating investors include Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Company. The new funding is intended to fuel Tana Oy's further expansion. The company said that the Kangas family remain its primary owners.

Tana Oy expects to record €65m in turnover in the 2024 financial year (1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024). It maintained over 20% year-on-year growth in turnover over multiple previous years.

US: National Cement is upgrading its Lebec cement plant in California to make it carbon neutral. The upgrade involves a transition to limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) production. The producer will also substitute fossil fuels with locally-sourced biomass, including pistachio shells, in cement production. Lastly, a carbon capture installation will remove 950,000t/yr of CO₂ from the plant’s flue gases.

Mexico: Cemex said in its Integrated Report 2023 that its alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate rose to 37% in 2023. The group attributed the rise to its deployment of hydrogen injection technology.

Cemex said “We continued our global roll-out of hydrogen injection technology, and it's now used in half of our cement plants. In Mexico alone, we made sizeable investments installing new hydrogen units and plan to continue scaling hydrogen use in our operations worldwide.”

Ukraine: The construction of an upcoming waste processing plant in Derhachi, Kharkiv Oblast, is 97% complete. The plant will process 250,000t/yr of waste and create 152 new jobs. Eco Politic News has reported that the plant will also collect landfill gas, which will be used in power generation.

The Ukrainian State Environmental Inspectorate said “Kharkiv is not only one of the largest cities in Ukraine, but also located in the frontline zone, so effective waste management in the city is an indicator not only of environmental awareness but also of readiness for crisis situations.”