Holcim Polska has successfully completed a technological trial at its Malogoszcz cement plant demonstrating clinker production using 100 per cent alternative fuels and eliminating coal from the kiln's thermal energy mix.
The test, carried out over several days, replaced coal entirely with alternative fuels derived from non-recyclable waste, achieving a thermal substitution rate (TSR) of 100 per cent.
The project was conducted in cooperation with Geocycle, Holcim's waste management and recycling subsidiary. According to the company, the use of alternative fuels supports the circular economy by recovering energy from waste materials that would otherwise be sent to landfill.
Geocycle CEO Marcin Wojtan said Holcim intends to move from testing to full-scale implementation of the solution.
Holcim noted that it has increased the share of alternative fuels used at its cement plants from around one per cent in the mid-1990s to almost 90 per cent today, among the highest rates in the European Union. The trial forms part of the group's wider strategy to reduce emissions and increase circularity in cement production.
The EMR (electrical, Instrumentation, and control technology) consolidation for the Malogoszcz cement plant project has also officially closed after several years of development.
The Holcim Polska CAPEX team successfully commissioned this massive brownfield upgrade project in 2024 and completed all subsequent closing activities. The extensive modernisation effort included upgrading the clinker line to 3700tpd. It also featured the installation of a five-stage inline low-NOx precalciner, a kiln, and a clinker cooler.
