Argentina: Geocycle has commissioned the new Line 2 of its Piedra Blanca waste management plant, Norte En Linea News has reported. The facility will now process 100,000t/yr of waste. Geocycle will supply the remaining 45% fraction of unsorted waste after processing to Holcim Argentina's Malagueño cement plant for use as refuse-derived fuel (RDF). By diverting non-recyclable waste from incineration, Geocycle says that the new line will eliminate 25,000t/yr of CO₂ emissions.

US: Continental Cement has ordered a Fuelflex Pyrolyzer alternative fuels combustion system from Denmark-based FLSmidth for installation at its Davenport plant in Buffalo, Iowa. The supplier says that its product offers a lower capital expenditure compared to competing systems, can control NOx emissions without the need for ammonia water and can be installed without a long shutdown period. This is the first commercial installation of the Fuelflex Pyrolyzer system following a pre-commercial installation at the Mannok cement plant in Northern Ireland, UK, in 2022.

David Loomes, the president of Continental Cement, said “We’re very excited about what the Fuelflex Pyrolyzer will do for our process.” He added, “We’re planning to achieve 55% fossil fuel replacement across the plant, utilising non-hazardous waste that would otherwise go to landfill or incinerators. The economic and environmental benefits of this technology are very significant and a key element of executing our carbon reduction commitment.” Continental Cement, a subsidiary of Summit Materials, has been incorporating waste materials as fuels for more than 30 years.

Jens Jonas Skov Larsen, Head of Capital Sales at FLSmidth, said “Mannok has called the Fuelflex Pyrolyzer a game-changer for the cement industry.” He continued, “This system effectively rearranges the order of the combustion process to make use of hot preheater meal, which is the heat source for the waste fuel pyrolysis. It’s a more efficient way of burning alternative fuels and it comes with a host of benefits, including reduced emissions and a more stable process.”

The installation at Davenport cement plant is expected to start operation in 2024. The full commercial launch for the system is scheduled by 2025. No value for the order has been disclosed.

Mexico: Cemex's waste management subsidiary Regenera has signed a deal with the municipal council of Huajuapan de León to receive the latter's sorted non-recyclable municipal solid waste (MSW). Under the deal, Regenera will receive up to 6000t/yr of MSW, which it will supply to Cemex's Tepeaca cement plant in Puebla.

Austria: Alpacem Gruppe subsidiary w&p Zement plans to eradicate 20,000t/yr of CO₂ emissions by substituting 100% alternative fuel (AF) in its regular operations, up from 80%. The producer will co-process 122,000t/yr of AF, up by 26% from 97,400t/yr at present.

Technical director Florian Salzer said “A key factor in achieving climate neutral cement production is reducing the use of fossil fuels. We are already using AF instead of coal. As a result, substances that cannot be used for any other purpose, such as material recycling, are converted into energy."