Waste derived fuels, such as tyres, have environmental benefits, such as reducing certain emissions, particularly oxides of nitrogen, and help to control production costs.
Several other cement plants in the UK are burning tyres successfully and have demonstrated that the overall environmental impact of using tyres in the fuel mix is reduced when compared with burning coal alone.
With kiln material temperatures of some 1,400 degrees centigrade there are no smells, smoke or residues from burning tyres in cement kilns. Using tyres as a waste derived fuel also reduces reliance on fossil fuels and preserves them for future generations.
In addition to the direct environmental benefits of reduced emissions, using like tyres, recovers energy from what would otherwise be considered a waste material. Each year 40 million tyres are scrapped in the UK. Using tyres in cement kilns help to minimise illegal dumping, reduce landfilling and preserve fossil fuels for future generations.
CEMEX has been using chipped tyres at Rugby works since 2005. Data show a marked reduction in certain emissions from the chimney when tyres are in use. Most notably, oxides of nitrogen which affect air quality, have decreased by 40%.
