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.

Austria: A Tec has launched a mobile version of its grinding mill. The semi mobile A Tec Rocket Mill 2.00 single is a compact version installed in a container. The mill consists of one grinding chamber with approximately a 2m diameter and 315kW installed power at the main drive. This will give roughly the half capacity of the double chamber Rocket Mill 2.50. The throughput when producing refuse derived fuel (RDF) for the main burner (90% < 50mm) is about 10 - 12t/hr.

Germany: Lindner plans to release its new Micromat HP series of plastic and universal shredders at the Fakuma plastics processing trade fair in October 2017. The new models in the High Performance (HP) range follow the existing Micromat 2000 and 2500 single shaft shredders but the manufacturer says that the new machines offer up to a 30% increase in output. This has been achieved by re-designing the rotor geometry to allow the knives to be used more efficiently per rotation. An optimised Siemens control unit has also been included. The shredders come with a 132kW or 160kW motor driving the rotor with a speed of 105RPM depending on customer requirements.

The upgraded line has been created in response to increasing European environmental targets and expected rises in the recycling rate of plastic packaging. Following these changes the shredder producer anticipates that recycling companies and producers of secondary raw materials will require more output while using the same space.

US: Essroc Cement’s appeal against the Clark County planning commission decision to stop it burning alternative fuels at its Speed Cement plant in Indian has been blocked. The Clark County Circuit Court ruled the plant did not follow the proper administrative procedures before filing its lawsuit seeking to overturn a local zoning decision, according to the Courier Journal newspaper. Burning waste fuels at the site has been in dispute since the company first proposed the action in 2014.