Canada: The New Democratic Party has called for a ban of burning tyres in Nova Scotia. The opposition political party held a news conference with opponents of the government's decision in July 2017 to approve a one-year pilot project allowing Lafarge Canada to burn tyres for energy at the company's Brookfield cement plant, according to the Canadian Press newspaper. No tyres have been burned at the plant so far as the cement producer waits for industrial approval of the project from the provincial government.

Mark Butler of the Ecology Action Centre said the government’s decision was based on a Dalhousie University engineering study that was too narrow in its focus and wasn't peer reviewed. However the government has said that it used several technical studies to inform its decision. A group of local residents also started legal action in August 2017 on the grounds that the project violated the province's Environment Act.

Cyprus: N+P International has extended its solid recovered fuel (SRF) supply agreement with Vassiliko Cement to the end of 2020. The deal also includes an option to further extend the agreement to the end of 2022. N+P has been supplying Vassiliko Cement with SRF from the UK and Italy by sea since 2015.

“This contract is the foundation of a long-term cooperation between Vassiliko Cement, Enerco Energy Recovery and N+P. The parties intend to maximise alternative fuel consumption in the Vassiliko Cement plant, to do so parties recently carried out a trial to co-grind N+P’s Subcoal pellets in the plants coal mills. The first results of this trial are looking very promising and further trials will be done the near future. We agreed not to disclose precise contract volumes, but at present >2500t/week of SRF is shipped into Vassiliko Cement,” said a representative of N+P.

Vassiliko Cement plans to reach a 55% substitution rate of alternative fuels by 2020.

India: Wonder Cement has signed a memorandum of understanding with the municipal council of Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh. The agreement will see the council arrange refuse collection, separation and transportation to the cement company’s plant at Nimbahera, according to the Press Trust of India. The council is already processing wet waste to make organic fertiliser.

UK/Europe: Cemex’s South Ferriby cement plant is participating in the European Union (EU) supported enhanced energy and resource efficiency and performance in process industry operations via onsite and cross-sectorial symbiosis (EPOS) project. Designed to enable cross-sector industrial working, the project highlights case studies exemplifying ways for companies to use wastes from other industries to deliver greater efficiency, save raw materials, and contribute to more sustainable processes.

The South Ferriby plant has worked with other companies, including the INEOS chemical company, to determine how waste from INEOS’s production could be used as part of the cement manufacturing process. In addition Cemex Poland and Cemex Research Group in Switzerland will also represent Cemex in the project.

“It is a privilege for Cemex’s cement plant in South Ferriby to participate in this project, collaborating with other companies and partners across Europe. This helps to ensure that we operate our cement plant as efficiently as possible, while learning lessons that we can apply to our other facilities,” said Kevin Groombridge, South Ferriby Cement Plant Environment Manager.