UK: The Netherland’s N+P Group has started a joint venture with Simec to sells its refuse-derived fuel (RDF) pellet product Subcoal to power stations. The joint venture, Simec Subcoal Fuels (SSF), has signed a 20-year fuel supply agreement with the Uskmouth power station in South Wales, to supply 900,000t/yr tonnes of Subcoal. N+P and Simec want to build at least four new Subcoal production units in the UK to support the contract at Uskmouth.

“This joint venture with Simec is a very important milestone in our growth strategy for alternative fuels with the Fuel Supply Agreement as an excellent foundation, “ said Stijn Jennissen, commercial director of N+P Group.

Simec Group, based in Hong Kong, is an international energy, infrastructure and natural resources business. Its activities span renewable energy generation, mining, shipping and commodities trading through its key hubs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. In 2016, Simec unveiled its plan to turn the existing 395MW Uskmouth Power Station Newport into a centre of excellence for Advanced Conversion Technologies, using biomass, waste and other sustainable energy sources.

Czech Republic: Lafarge Czech Republic plans to spend nearly Euro4m on upgrades for its Ciskovice plant. Half of this investment has been spent on rebuilding an electrostatic precipitator for the main chimney for the plant. An additional Euro1.5m will be spent on improvements to the warehouse, handling and dosing of alternative fuels for the kiln. Upgrades to improve the unit’s noise and fire protection are also scheduled.

India: The government of Trichy in Tamil Nadu has increased its supply of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) to UltraTech Cement’s plant at Ariyalur. In has increased its supply by 30t/day from 30t/day at present for the next 10s years, according to the New Indian Express newspaper. The current agreement to supply 30t/day was arranged in February 2018.

Chile: Waste management company KDM and Finland’s Griffin have partnered up to produce solid recovered fuel (SRF). The waste fuel will be produced at KDM’s Loma Los Colorados waste separation plant, according to the El Mercurio newspaper. An investment of US$5.3m will be made at the site and it expects to produce 30,000t/yr of SRF. Fuel from the unit will be marketed to the local cement industry.