Global CemFuels News

UK: The Environmental Services Association has called for the UK planning system to be more closely aligned with the so-called Circular Economy. It has laid out a number of recommendations in a report entitled ‘Planning for a Circular Economy.’ In its report it outlines key aspects of the current planning system that it says can frustrate the waste industry.

“Many local authorities need to let go of the strict control culture that has prevailed in one form or another since the ‘landfill era’ and instead adopt a more responsive approach to planning for waste management that better recognises the variable and dynamic nature of the space in which our industry now operates. Our industry increasingly resembles that of any other logistics business with materials moved around as markets dictate,” commented ESA’s Policy Advisor Stephen Freeland. He added that few other sectors face the same planning and political obsession about the origin of material or commodities, and where these should be transported to, as the waste industry.

Israel: The Hiriya Recycling Park near Tel Aviv has launched a refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The new plant cost US$111m and it will produce about 500t/day of RDF, according to the Jerusalem Post. Partners on the project include the Hiriya Recycling Park, the Dan Municipal Sanitation Association, Nesher Israel Cement Enterprises and the Veridis environmental service corporation. RDF from the plant will be use to substitute about 20% of the Nesher cement plant’s fuel.

China: Huaxin Cement built three co-processing projects for its cement plants in 2016. It also signed contracts to build 10 new projects and six new projects were under construction. The cement producer said in its annual report that it had 25 co-processing projects operating or under construction with a capacity of 5Mt/yr. It added that its waste disposal per tonne of clinker production was ahead of its competitors in the sector. It noted that its had increased its usage of alternative fuels in the second half of the year following an increase in the cost of coal. Huaxin Cement, like other Chinese cement producers, has been actively enacting government-promoted supply side reforms following a poor market in 2015.

Nigeria: Lafarge Africa has raised its capacity to use alternative fuels at its Ewekoro 1 cement plant to a substitution rate of 50%. Its Sagamu plant has the capacity to operate a substitution rate of up to 25%. Its alternative fuels sources include locally sourced palm kernel shells, woodchips, tyres and refuse. It is unclear whether or not the plants will be able to make use of this capacity in the near term.

“Our energy optimisation plan has proved successful with increased use of alternative fuel to offset gas shortages. Ewekoro 1 plant migrated from 100% reliance on gas and low pour fuel oil (LPFO) to about 40% use of alternative fuels at the plant,” said Michel Puchercos, the chief executive officer of Lafarge Africa in the group’s results for the fourth quarter of 2016.

The subsidiary of LafargeHolcim plans to use alternative fuels at all of its Nigerian cement plants by 2018. Ewekoro 2 will be utilising alternative fuels, Ashaka will be using alternative fuels and coal and Mfamosing is expected to be using petcoke and alternative fuels.

Japan: Austria’s Lindner-Recyclingtech has entered into a sales partnership with the Japanese company Ryohshin in Toyama to strengthen its presence in the region. The Japanese recycling technology company will assume responsibility for selling Lindner shredding products to the local waste management industry.

‘The Japanese shredder market is characterised by high demand and fierce competition, with a focus on replacing older systems, upgrades and expanding existing capacities. To succeed in this environment in the long term, we choose our partners worldwide according to very strict criteria,” said Osamu Kono, the chief executive officer of Ryohshin.