Global CemFuels News

Ethiopia: The Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Chemicals and Construction Inputs Industry Development Institute are working with cement producers to replace imported coal with biomas in a bid to lower carbon CO2 and reduce reliance on foreign currency. The institute has conducted a feasibility study, with the support of the Global Climate Fund and the European Union, studying using a weed, Prophecies Newfora, as potential biomass, according to the Reporter newspaper. Plants run by Dangote Cement and Habesha Cement factories took part in the study. The government is also encouraging cement producers to use locally mined coal until the biomass project becomes fully operational.

UK: Fairport Engineering is working on an alternative fuels storage and feed system for Cemex’s Rugby cement plant. This project underwent feasibility studies in 2018 and 2019. It is now seeking planning permission and final capital sanction. Once obtained the project execution is likely to take place during a future scheduled kiln shutdown period.

Fairport Engineering has worked on various projects at the Rugby plant since 1998. At this time it supported the installation of a new Polysius kiln with the supply of an associated combined raw materials store. Later it worked on the design and management of a new filter installation in 2006 to support tighter emissions regulations associated with alternative fuels such as a tyre chip and refuse-derived fuel (RDF).

Honduras: Colombia’s Cementos Argos has launched a campaign to collect used tyres as part of a health and environmental initiative in Comayagua. Participants who supply used tyres will be rewarded with a fruit tree for each tyre returned, according to Periódico Digital. So far the 2019 campaign has seen a total of 2235 tyres collected. This is the fifth year that the cement producer has participated in the scheme.

Netherlands/UK: The RDF Industry Group has criticised a new tax proposal by the Dutch government on waste imports as part of its National Climate Agreement. The government wants to impose a tariff of Euro32/t on imported refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from the start of January 2020. It also wants to add a CO₂ tax of Euro30/t on industrial emitters from the start of 2021. The group says that, whilst it welcomes moves towards reducing CO₂ emissions, it believes the proposed Dutch taxes, in their current form, will be counterproductive in achieving this goal.

“RDF export forms a vital and flexible part of the UK’s waste management system, supporting over 6800 additional jobs in the UK, and saving over 700,000 tonnes CO₂ emissions annually. The Netherlands is the largest importer of UK waste, receiving 1.3Mt of RDF from the UK in 2018, powering good quality, efficient treatment facilities, many of which utilise heat offtake as well as electricity. The introduction of an import tax risks more waste going to landfill in the UK each year, disregarding the waste hierarchy, worsening the environmental impact, increasing costs and putting jobs at risk. Furthermore, given the large proportion of waste to Dutch incinerators that comes from the UK, there is also a risk of plant closures, and job losses in the Netherlands,” said Robert Corijn, chair of the RDF Industry Group.

The RDF Industry Group says it has raised its concerns with Dutch Parliamentary representatives.

UK: Tarmac has ordered a solid recovered fuel (SRF) handling system from Saxlund International to increase the capability to utilise alternative fuels at its Dunbar integrated cement plant. The SRF system will be installed in the second half of 2019. It is designed for the reception of trucks and storage of fuel in two bunkers. The new system includes processing of fuel to remove ferrous and oversize particles before weighing and dosing into a pneumatic conveying system for kiln injection. The Dunbar plant will use SRF supplied by Hamilton - Solid Recovered Fuel.

“We are delighted to be involved in the development of this new SRF facility at the Dunbar Cement works. The overall system for the reception, storage and conveying of SRF fuel will help to ensure a highly resilient and robust solution for our client,” said Mark Neal, sales manager at Saxlund International.