Austria: Rohrdorfer Group has awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to Humboldt Wedag, a subsidiary of KHD, for the modernisation of the kiln line at its cement plant operations in Gmunden. The upgrade will enable the flexible usage of a wide range of waste fractionally pre-treated derived fuels on a high substitution rate.

The modernisation project comprises the design and supply of KHD’s world´s first ever Pyrorotor Cacliner Technology, as well as the replacement of the existing satellite cooler with a new generation Pyrofloor PFC2 clinker cooler. The existing three station rotary kiln will be fitted with a new kiln drive and a new kiln hood as well as kiln inlet and outlet.

With the installation of the new Pyrorotor Cacliner Technology from KHD the Gmunden plant will be able to burn very coarse waste derived fuels including whole rubber tires, which will lead to drastically reduced requirements in regard to waste pre-treatment. Therefore, the kiln modification will also emphasise on pollutant emission reduction.

The contract includes: three new preheater cyclones; a new preheater ID-fan; a tertiary air duct; a Pyrotop compact calciner mixing chamber; Pyrorotor Calciner burning chamber technology, a Pyroclon Calciner Burning System; a new kiln bypass unit; a multi-fuel Pyro-Jet kiln burner for primary and secondary fuels; a new kiln drive and kiln hood; a Pyrofloor PFC2 clinker cooler equipped with a Pyrocrusher roller type clinker crusher; and Simulex plant simulation software.

KHD services include the dismantling of existing equipment parts as well as the engineering, design, supply and erection of new equipment including commissioning services. Commissioning of the new system is scheduled for April 2019.

Poland: LafargeHolcim has spent Euro36m on upgrades to alternative fuels handling at its Kujawy cement plant. The investment includes preparing the kiln for the use of alternative fuels, building a new terminal, setting up a new automated laboratory and building a hall for storing and processing alternative fuels. The project is intended to adjust the plant’s kiln for processing alternative fuels and securing new alternative fuel sources. The cement producer aims to control the alternative fuels supply chain for its plant from source to kiln.

South Africa: PPC plans to expand its alternative fuel programme as part of a cost saving drive. The producer plans to start using refuse derived fuel (RDF) at its De Hoek cement plant in the Western Cape, according to the Pretoria News newspaper. This will follow the current use of tyres as a fuel at the unit. RDF will be sourced from Cape Town, Drakenstein and Swartland. Savings are expected to be realised from the change in fuel mix by mid-2019.

PPC added that it didn’t expect any disruption to its supply of waste tyres at De Hoek caused from the shutdown of the government’s Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA). Chief executive officer (CEO) Johan Claassen said that the company had anticipated the closure and built up supplies of tyres at the plant and at a site at Vissershok.

Japan: Austria’s Untha has agreed a new distribution partnership with Yokohama-based engineering firm Sun Earth. The deal will see Untha’s manufactured shredding technology supplied to a number of waste and alternative fuel production facilities throughout Japan. The agreement was arranged to help Sun Earth cope with demand for a shredding system that can tackle complex production waste, including single-step solid recovered fuel (SRF) manufacturing. Talks between the companies started in mid-2017.

Sun Earth has already placed an order for an Untha XR3000C shredder scheduled for shipment in early 2018.