ACC uses municipal waste to fire its kilns
ACC Ltd is discussing with a number of urban local bodies to co-process municipal solid waste and industrial waste in its cement kilns.
The company, which has a dozen cement units distributed across several States, has so far replaced about 2.5 per cent of the coal it uses to fire its kilns with about 3 lakh tonnes of ‘substitute fuels and raw materials.’
These are primarily urban solid waste and industrial wastes, according to Mr Ulhas Parlikar, Director, Alternative Fuels and Raw Materials, ACC.
Mr Parlikar, who was in Chennai to address a seminar on waste to energy, told Business Line that co-processing is not just about incinerating waste in the kilns. It is a proven technology to fuel the kilns and uses alternative raw materials which makes waste material an inherent part of cement production.
Cement kilns serve multiple uses of supporting safe disposal of waste and reducing use of natural resources like fuel and limestone. The local authorities have to speed up the clearance process to encourage this fast and effective method, he said.
ACC has a long-term policy to use alternative fuels and raw materials and has tied up with more than 70 industrial units, including those in chemicals and automotive sector to utilise the waste generated.
It is also in discussions with urban local bodies like those in Coimbatore to source the segregated solid waste. It now sources waste from JUSCO (Jamshedpur) and Jabalpur Municipal Corporation and surrounding areas. Segregated, non biodegradable waste, particularly plastic waste, is sourced, he said.
Published under Cement News
