Germany: Intercem has been contracted to optimise the secondary fuel dosing system at an unnamed German cement plant. The scope of delivery includes disassembly on site, refurbishment of the trough chain conveyors that will be re-used, construction of a new bunker and installation of the refurbished screws. The engineering, as well as the assembly of the new components and the provision of the necessary cranes, hoists and other equipment, are also included.
Lafarge Canada’s Exshaw cement plant receives government funding for lower carbon fuels project
Canada: The Alberta Climate Leadership Plan has allocated US$7.5m for the Lower Carbon Fuels Project at Lafarge Canada’s Exshaw cement plant. The funding is part of a total of over US$50m that will be distributed to 11 projects in the Province. Projects were selected and funded through Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), an organisation that accelerates the development and demonstration of emissions-reducing technologies.
“This multi-partner, multi-site research project will help Lafarge Canada better understand the environmental benefits of introducing lower-carbon fuels at the Exshaw Cement Plant. The Exshaw low-carbon fuels project will go a long way in helping us reach our ambitious corporate goal to produce 40% less net CO2/t of cement by 2030. This support from ERA helps us move this project forward. We hope that any positive results or lessons learned will encourage others in our industry to do the same, giving this investment a greater, far-reaching impact,” said Kate Strachan, plant manager at the Lafarge Exshaw Cement Plant.
The project at Exshaw involves studying the use co-processing alternative fuels to replace the use of natural gas. Technologies for fuel handling, processing, and injection will be installed at the site to replace 50% of its natural gas use. The implementation at Exshaw will be supported by development of a waste and fuel processing facility in Calgary. Eight fuel types will be examined including construction renovation and demolition waste, non-recyclable plastic, carpet and textiles, shingles, treated wood products, wood products, rubber and tire fluff.
Cementos Alfa applies to increase biomass co-processing rate
Spain: Cementos Alfa, part of Cementos Portland Valderrivas Group, has applied to its local environmental government body to increase its biomass co-processing rate. At present the cement plant in Cantabria is allowed to use up to 150t/day, according to the El Diario Montañés newspaper. The unit also spent Euro9m on energy savings upgrades to the main burner in 2018.
The plant produced around 0.5Mt/yr of cement in 2018 with a production capacity of 1.1Mt/yr. Production is expected to rise to 0.6Mt/yr in 2019.
Hanson Ribblesdale cement plant to increase use of solid recovered fuel
UK: Hanson’s Ribblesdale cement plant plans to upgrade its automatic feed system to increase its usage of solid recovered fuel (SRF). It is part of a three-phase fuel strategy to reduce the amount of coal the unit uses. The subsidiary of Germany’s HeidelbergCement has been using SRF since 2011.
“Successful trials have also been carried out to burn waste paper residues from motor oil filters in the kilns and use of this as an additional alternative fuel will start in 2020,” said Simon Moorhouse, Hanson Cement’s operations manager.