UK: Axion Polymers has invested significantly in new laboratory and testing facilities to ensure consistent quality of its solid recovered fuel (SRF) products and to satisfy the stringent standards of its technical end markets.

It has installed a laboratory-scale furnace at its large-scale processing facility, Shredder Waste Advanced Processing Plant (SWAPP), in Trafford Park, Manchester to enhance accurate measurement and testing of the physical and thermal properties of its Axfuel® SRF 30, an alternative fuel used by the cement industry, among others.

Axion has also recruited a quality control team working within ISO 9001 operating procedures to conduct in-house product testing, including analysis on critical aspects such as SRF calorific value and chemical composition. Samples are sent on a weekly basis to external laboratories for further testing and verification.

Derived from automotive shredder residue, Axfuel SRF 30 is a sub 30mm-sized mixture of textiles, fibre-fluff, plastic, foam and rubber, with a gross calorific value of 18 - 22MJ/Kg and available in large tonnages.

"We have made this important investment because alternative fuels from waste need to be treated as a product, not as a waste. If SRF is to deliver the fuel benefit and meet the technically-demanding specifications of our end markets, it has to be of consistently high quality so customers can buy with confidence," said Axion director Roger Morton. "By operating within strict quality controls, we can ensure our reliable supply of SRF is produced to exceptionally high standards. As this fuel is sourced from end-of-life vehicles, giving it a second life as an alternative high-energy feed is going to be an attractive option for companies who want to demonstrate their environmental credentials."

Vietnam: Deputy prime minister Hoang Trung Hai has directed the implementation of solutions to treat waste at thermal power plants for energy conservation and environmental protection.

Trung Hai urged the concerned parties to more effectively implement Government Decision 1696/QD-TTg on measures to treat gypsum, ash and cinder from thermal power, chemical or fertiliser plants for the production of building materials. Special focus should be paid to the Vinh Tan in Binh Thuan, An Khanh in Thai Nguyen, Song Hau in Mekong Delta Hau Giang and Vung Ang in Ha Tinh thermal power plants, where waste treatment is a pressing issue.

He asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Construction to coordinate with localities to disseminate effective waste treatment models while supplementing and completing criteria on the quality of ash and cinder for recycling in cement and construction material production.

Vietnam is home to 19 operating thermal power plants with a total capacity of 14,480MW, which discharge about 15Mt/yr of ash and cinder. After 2020, the country is expected to have 43 thermal power plants with a combined capacity of 39,020MW, discharging over 30Mt/yr of ash and cinder.

India: The Punjab government has approved a 40MW generation project using solid waste as fuel. The project will be set up by Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) and US-based Eco Air will prepare a feasibility study and provide technical assistance, according to Pakistan Engineering Review.

LWMC manager LWMC Wasif Azhar said that the project would help Lahore to dispose of solid waste in a useful way and provide cheap electricity. He hoped that the initiative would attract more investments. The project contract will be awarded on a build, operate and transfer basis.

The project will be set up at a landfill site near Lakho Der, along the River Ravi, to be provided to the investor free of cost. LWMC has signed agreements with DG Khan Cement and Lahore Compost to supply 1000t/day of solid waste for recycling. The companies will segregate the waste into two major components: Burnable and organic. The burnable component will be used as fuel in industrial units, while the organic material will be separated for bio-fertilisers to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers.

Nigeria: The Ogun State Government has entered into partnership with Lafarge Africa on sustainable waste management towards the generation of renewable energy and youth employment, according to All Africa.

"This initiative will help clear our waste and make us live more healthily. With this sustainable waste management solution, we would generate much-needed energy and employment opportunities for our youths," said governor Ibikunle Amosun during a visit to the Saje dump site in Abeokuta. He added that there are plans to set up a dump site in each of the three Senatorial Districts of Ogun.

New Lafarge Africa CEO Peter Hoddinott expressed deep conviction that the combustible and recyclable energy would bring a new lease of life to the people, as well as improve the economy of the state.