Austria: UNTHA Shredding Technology is currently working on proposals for more than 250 global prospects, eager to reap the benefits of its innovative new XR-C waste shredder. European orders in the last six months stand at Euro5m, with Holcim and SITA the most recent clients to invest in the machine.

The robust XR Cutter is able to produce high-quality solid recovered fuel (SRF) in a single pass, with double the output per tonnage of competing machines. Input material can include bulky untreated waste. When comparing like-for-like tonnages, the XR uses 50% less power consumption than traditional static electro-hydraulic shredders.

The power savings are due to UNTHA's new high-torque, slow-speed 'Eco Drive' concept. Modern water-cooled synchronous motors work continuously without overheating, ensuring minimal disruption and downtime. This also keeps running and maintenance charges minimal, with typical wear costs significantly less than Euro1/t.

"The beauty of the XR machine is its flexibility," said Peter Streinik, UNTHA's head of shredding solutions for waste. "The cutting concept is completely configurable, enabling alternative fuel producers to manufacture SRF with a homogenous pre-determined particle size of 100 - 400mm, or a precise SRF with a 30mm fraction or less. Load-dependent speed controls also enable the XR's RPM and torque to be adjusted and optimised, in order to achieve throughputs of up to 70t/hr."

Egypt: Lafarge Egypt and Egyptian holding company Orascom Telecom Media (OTMT) and Technology Holding SAE have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop a waste management framework of municipal and agricultural waste.

The memorandum, signed by Lafarge Egypt CEO Hussein Mansi and OTMT deputy CEO and COO Tamer el Mahdy, was created in an effort to process large volumes of municipal and agricultural waste into alternative fuels to be used in the Lafarge plant in Egypt and other companies.

The MOU represents a step towards sustainable development in the country and will begin the creation of a circular economy through the reduction of waste burning and dumping. The agreement will also create new employment opportunities and reduce the dependency on fossil fuels in the country.

Lafarge Cement Egypt has been providing thermal treatment solutions in Egypt for around three years in collaboration with its subsidiary Ecocem Industrial Ecology Egypt, which develops, sources and pre-treats solutions to facilitate the recovery of wastes into alternative fuels. Lafarge Egypt and Ecocem aim to achieve an average fuel substitution rate of 25% by the end of 2015.

Egypt: Arabian Cement plans to use alternative energy to increase its capacity to 100%, according to company CEO Jose Maria Magrina. The company is currently running at approximately 80% of its installed production capacity, with around 70% of the energy it uses being coal. In the meantime, 10% of its energy is reliant on alternative energy such as waste and biomass.

Arabian Cement is currently working on the completion of another installation that would enable the use of waste as alternative fuel, thus allowing its production capacity to reach 100%. The conversion will be completed within four weeks. "We can increase production the moment we finish our complete conversion to alternative fuels," said Magrina.

UK: Environment minister Mark H Durkan and Devendra Mody, industrial director at Lafarge Tarmac, have signed an agreement allowing the use of waste-derived fuels (WDF) at Lafarge Tarmac's cement plant in Cookstown, Northern Ireland. The plant, which employs 86 people, currently uses coal for approximately 95% of its fuel. The agreement will see Lafarge Tarmac substitute up to 35% of its coal with WDF.

"The agreement will turn environment issues from barriers to business into economic growth opportunities. The deal is that the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) firmly regulates and reduces red tape. In turn, partner companies invest heavily in the environment," said Durkan. "Lafarge Tarmac is committing significant investment in the environment. In addition to many environmental benefits, it will reduce its carbon emissions from production by a minimum of 10%, equivalent to taking 6500 cars off the road. It will look at ways to reduce emissions from its transportation chain and has also committed to improving public access to rare geological features found in the Ballysudden Area of Sepcial Scientific Interest (ASSI), located in its Cookstown quarry and to work with key stakeholders to develop a renewable energy strategy and examine options for reducing packaging."