India: The government of Trichy in Tamil Nadu has increased its supply of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) to UltraTech Cement’s plant at Ariyalur. In has increased its supply by 30t/day from 30t/day at present for the next 10s years, according to the New Indian Express newspaper. The current agreement to supply 30t/day was arranged in February 2018.

Chile: Waste management company KDM and Finland’s Griffin have partnered up to produce solid recovered fuel (SRF). The waste fuel will be produced at KDM’s Loma Los Colorados waste separation plant, according to the El Mercurio newspaper. An investment of US$5.3m will be made at the site and it expects to produce 30,000t/yr of SRF. Fuel from the unit will be marketed to the local cement industry.

Cyprus: Vassiliko Cement has been awarded an honorary distinction by the Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development for its use of alternative fuels. Its cement plant has a substitution rate of over 40%. The cement producer was also praised for other environmental improvements to its production line including the use of fabric filters for dust removal, the equipment and mode of operation for reduced emissions of air pollutants, the equipment for reduced electricity consumption that includes vertical grinding mills and the equipment for cutting down on thermal energy consumption with the use of waste heat recovery.

Mexico: Holcim Mexico has spent US$5.5m on upgrades to allow co-processing alternative fuels at its Ramos Arizpe plant near Saltillo. The new alterntive fuels line will start operation by May 2018, according to the Vanguard newspaper. Rodolfo Montero Chacón, the general director of the subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, said that the 2.2Mt/yr plant has two kilns but it only uses one due to local demand. The plant currently operates a proudction capcity utilistation rate of 55%.