Global CemFuels News

India: The Telangana state government has issued a government order (GO) requesting cement and power plants to buy and use refuse-derived fuel (RDF) when RDF is within 100km of a plant. Local government and RDF plants have been made responsible to pay for the transport costs to transport RDF to plants outside of the 100km zone. The GO has also prohibited the open burning of waste materials on open land and at landfill sites. The government said that the legislation follows a National Green Tribunal order issued in December 2016

Slovenia: Salonit Anhovo has won a bronze European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Sustainable Energy Award for progress in the use of non-hazardous solid recovered waste in its energy mix. The cement producer is increasing its alternative fuels substitution rate to over 75% from 60%. This will allow its plant to achieve a carbon emission intensity factor of 0.737kg CO₂/kg clinker, which is below the relevant European Union (EU) benchmark.

The EBRB also said that Salonit Anhovo presently operates at levels expected for the industry for 2025 in terms of specific heat consumption and for 2030 in terms of clinker ratio in cement and specific CO₂ emissions. The bank supported the company with a Euro15m loan in December 2016.

“We are very pleased to recognise Salonit Anhovo’s foray into alternative fuels with this award. This is an excellent example of how an innovative, tailor-made solution can benefit both finances and the environment. This investment will bring significant cost savings, contribute to the operational restructuring and support the resource efficiency of Salonit Anhovo by increasing the use of alternative fuel in the energy mix,” said EBRD director Dariusz Prasek.

Ireland: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned Irish Cement to improve its environmental performance or face further sanction. The cement producer’s plant in Limerick, along with four other industrial sites belonging to other companies, have been identified on a National Priority Site List for enforcement. It added that these five sites represented less than 1% of EPA licensed sites but accounted for 8% of EPA site inspections completed so far in 2017. Three of the five sites has also accounted for over half of all complaints received to-date in 2017.

“A small number of sites have significant compliance issues and we consider them to be National Priority Sites for enforcement. The EPA will escalate enforcement action against companies and their directors, if necessary, if compliance does not improve,” said Gerard O’Leary, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement.

Netherlands: Alternative fuels specialist N+P Recycling has celebrated its 25th anniversary and the opening of its new headquarters in Nieuw-Bergen, Limburg. Company chief executive officer (CEO) Karel Jennissen presided at the event and Manon Pelzer, the mayoress of Nieuw-Bergen, was also in attendance.

200 guests attended the opening that included a guided tour of the new premises. At a ceremony marking the anniversary Karel Jennissen, with his wife Karin, presented the history of the company. Their three sons Lars, Stijn and Jens then gave guests a personal insight into their own experiences with the firm. This was followed the next day by a general tour of the facility for the local community with around 1000 members of the public.

A full report will be published in the September 2017 edition of Global Cement Magazine, including a visit to the company’s 80,000t/yr Subcoal production facility in Farmsum.

Image 1: Karel Jennissen of N+P Recycling

Image 2: Karel Jennissen N+P Recycling with his sons Lars, Steijn and Jens

Canada: The Nova Scotia provincial government has given permission for Lafarge Canada’s Brookfield plant to burn tyres for one year. Environment Minister Iain Rankin said that the results would be examined at the end of the pilot period.

“My decision is based on the science and evidence associated with this application as well as the public feedback received which helped to shape conditions of the approval,” said Rankin. “This pilot will confirm if the company can reduce current carbon emission levels at its Brookfield plant as the information provided in the application indicates.”

Terms of the pilot project include limiting tyre-derived fuel to 15% of total daily input and no more than 20t/day, forming a community liaison committee to keep residents informed of the project’s status and address their questions and to develop a complaints resolution plan.

Lafarge Canada will also be required to submit plans for related activities and apply for a temporary industrial approval to operate the pilot project. The required plans include: tyre storage and waste management; air dispersion modelling; continuous monitoring of emissions; stack testing before and after the pilot begins; and an emergency response if there is a malfunction of the kiln. The results of the pilot will be made public through a community liaison committee.

However, the plan has received criticism from the local community on environmental grounds. The local press has also questioned whether the provincial government is subsidising Lafarge Canada’s fuel costs as the region charges consumers recycling tariffs on goods such as tyres. A previous plan by the cement producer to burn tyres in the region in 2007 was blocked by the local government.