Vietnam: Vicem But Son Cement has reported that it now substitutes between 20% and 30% of its fuel with alternative fuel (AF). Viet Nam News has reported that company says that it eliminated 133,000t of CO2 emissions through AF co-processing in 2021. It has used sewage sludge and industrial waste as sources of AF since September 2019.
Geminor processes 3% less refuse-derived fuel and solid recovered fuel in 2021
Norway: Geminor processed 67% of waste that it handled in 2021 into refuse-derived fuel (RDF) and solid recovered fuel (SRF). The company said that the figure represents a 3% decline from 2020 levels. It handled a total of 1.73Mt of waste in nine European countries in 2021.
CEO Kjetil Vikingstad said “The Covid year 2021 has been another challenging year for the European waste industry in terms of volumes, logistics, transport and varying market mechanisms. The RDF market, in particular, has differed with lower volumes in circulation due to reduced exports from countries such as the UK and Finland. At the same time, other countries - such as Poland, Denmark, and Italy - have experienced growth, which has helped obtain a balance in the market.”
FLSmidth to work with Tontoton on collecting plastic waste in Vietnam
Vietnam: Denmark-based FLSmidth has started a partnership with Tontoton to help cement plants source non-recyclable plastic waste for co-processing. FLSmidth will work as a technical consultant on the project. The partnership was announced at the ADB Healthy Oceans Tech and Finance Forum: Innovative Solutions for Asia and the Pacific. Local cement producers interested in getting involved are welcomed to reach out to Tontoton for information on how to get started.
“With our process knowledge, technical expertise within co-processing, and waste-fuel firing equipment, we proud to help facilitate a win-win situation for all parties involved,” said Carsten Riisberg Lund, Cement Industry President, FLSmidth.
Tontoton is a Vietnam-based plastic neutralisation program that aims to reduce ocean plastic. It builds personalised plans for companies to reduce their plastic footprint, using the same concept as a carbon footprint. It collaborates with local communities to collect a predefined amount of ocean-bound plastic on behalf of companies, equivalent to their overall plastic consumption or a specific product. It works under the international standard of the Ocean Bound Plastic Neutrality Certification, audited by a third party, Control Union.
Cemex buys Broquers Ambiental in Mexico
Mexico: Cemex has acquired waste management company Broquers Ambiental. The company manages the separation, recovery and treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in the city of Queretaro. MSW from the company will be used as an alternative fuel at Cemex’s local cement plants. This acquisition is part of its Future in Action program, aimed to achieve carbon neutrality.
“With this acquisition, at Cemex, we are firmly committed to the circular economy by integrating our value chain to the production of climate-friendly fuels that we use in cement production. Our objective for this year is to double Broquer´s capacity and thereby contribute to the progress towards sustainability in the city of Queretaro, as well as the transformation of Mexico towards a green economy,” said Ricardo Naya, President of Cemex Mexico.
Broquers expects to increase the current staff by 50 new employees in 2022 to expand its processing capacity. The waste management company was reportedly the first plant of its kind in Mexico to use waste separation equipment in line with European standards for waste treatment.