Belarus: The Belarusian Cement Company has begun to use refuse-derived fuel (RDF) as an alternative to coal and natural gas. It is doing so as part of its national strategy for environmentally safe and cost-effective handling of municipal solid waste (MSW). 

Since the start of RDF fuel production in October 2024, the company’s Krasnoselskstroymaterialy plant has accepted and successfully used all fuel produced at Belarusian waste sorting plants in the cement kiln. "Pilot deliveries of RDF fuel and its use confirm that the line demonstrates economic efficiency, helping to reduce the cost of clinker production due to the lower cost of fuel compared to coal," said Viktor Kosenchuk, Deputy General Director for Production of the Management Company of the Belarusian Cement Company. 

Australia: Boral’s Berrima Cement Works celebrated a milestone of using more than 100,000t of alternative fuels in cement manufacturing at its facility during the 2025 financial year, according to a post by the producer on Linkedin. The facility displaced over 80,000t of coal. The fuels included high-biomass waste and tyres, which were diverted from landfill.

Boral said that it has achieved over 30% thermal energy substitution in the plant’s kiln, with successful trials reaching 45%. With recent upgrades such as the chlorine bypass and further infrastructure investment, the company targets 60% substitution in coming years.

Spain: Molins has received permits from the Generalitat de Catalunya to begin operating an auxiliary hydrogen generation facility at its Sant Vicenç dels Horts cement plant in Barcelona.

The producer will install a hydrogen production module based on water electrolysis, using water from subway catchments. The system includes osmosis treatment to purify the water prior to splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity. The hydrogen will be consumed directly as fuel in the clinker kiln, replacing part of the petcoke currently used to reduce CO₂ emissions.

Molins forecasts hydrogen consumption of 305t/yr and expects to cut CO₂ emissions by 3600t/yr. The company said the project supports its Sustainability Roadmap 2030, which targets a 20% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 2020.

Pakistan: Cherat Cement has submitted a proposal to Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) to use municipal solid waste from the city as refuse derived fuel (RDF) under a public-private partnership. The company said that approximately 500t/day of waste is collected from Peshawar and currently dumped at a 1.6Mt capacity landfill. The initiative would replace coal in cement production and generate revenue for WSSP while tackling the issue of solid waste management.

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