Sweden: Cementa plans to increase the share of bio-based alternative fuel (AF) in its Slite, Gotland, cement plant’s fuel mix. The move forms part of the plant’s plan to achieve climate positive cement production from 2030.
Parent company HeidelbergCement’s Northern Europe general manager Giv Brantenberg said “As we capture and store CO2 from the cement production, including emissions from bioenergy, we will be able to manufacture carbon-free cement for the Swedish construction industry.”
Denmark: Norway-based Geminor has commissioned a new refuse-derived fuel (RDF) production plant in Aalborg, Jutland. The plant is equipped with a windshifter separator, allowing it to extract up to 70% of plastic in residual waste, in addition to metals and wood. This produces a heavy bio-RDF with low fossil content, of the type previously developed by the company at its HUB research facility in Landskrona, Sweden. Though more expensive to produce than other types of RDF, the company believes the fraction offers higher profitability due to its taxation benefits.
China: Anhui Conch Cement plans to acquire an additional stake in industrial solid and hazardous waste management company China Conch Environment Protection. Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that the group currently holds a 14% stake in the company.
UK: Mexico-based Cemex has inaugurated the Climafuel unit at Rugby cement plant. Climafuel is a waste derived fuel which is made using domestic and commercial waste. The upgrade is intended to allow the cement plant to operate at a 100% alternative fuels (AF) substitution rate. This is the first Cemex plant to be able to do this.
Sergio Menéndez, the President of Cemex Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia, said, “With the completion of this considerable development, we have set new records in alternative fuel substitution, the highest of any of our plants and eventually expect to phase out completely the usage of fossil fuels at the plant. We expect the Rugby plant to be a model for other Cemex cement plants around the world.”
