EA grants permission for Cemex to burn climafuel
Cemex UK, has been granted permission by the cement industry regulator, the Environment Agency (EA), to use a waste-derived fuel, Climafuel. It will part-replace the fossil fuels used in the kiln at the Rugby cement plant in Warwickshire.
The permission was granted following completion of an extensive trial where Climafuel was used to replace up to 30 per cent of fossil fuels, such as coal, showing significant environmental and sustainability benefits, including a marked reduction of up to 30% in emissions of oxides of nitrogen when Climafuel was in use.
Climafuel is an alternative fuel which is derived from household residual waste and commercial waste. It looks like shredded paper and consists of paper, cardboard, wood, carpet, textiles and plastics that have been through a treatment process. It is a solid, non-hazardous fuel from which recoverable materials have been removed for recycling.
Since its introduction in February 2008, almost 130,000 tonnes of Climafuel has been used, produced from approximately 250,000 tonnes of waste that would otherwise have gone to landfill. Based on the biomass content in the fuel, the use of Climafuel has also saved over 150,000t of CO2, the same emissions as almost 60,000 cars produce in a year. If the contribution made by using tyres as a fuel is also included, the total CO2 saving rises to almost 215,000t.
Cemex welcomes the EA decision, which is key to improving the company’s environmental performance and will help to ensure that quality cement from the plant is provided as sustainably as possible. Using alternative fuels at Rugby is providing a solution to the waste problem we all create, by helping to divert waste from landfill and preserving fossil fuels for future generations.
Published under Cement News
