CEMEX UK GRANTED PERMIT TO USE CLIMAFUEL PERMANENTLY AT BARRINGTON WORKS
Building materials solutions company, CEMEX UK, has been granted permission by the cement industry regulator, the Environment Agency (EA), to use a waste-derived fuel, Climafuel, to part-replace the fossil fuels used to heat the kiln at Barrington cement plant in Cambridgeshire.
The permission was granted following completion of an extensive trial where Climafuel was used to replace 20 per cent of fossil fuels, such as coal and petcoke, showing significant environmental benefits, including a marked reduction in emissions of oxides of nitrogen (13 per cent), when Climafuel was in use.
View the Environment Agency Decision Document for Climafuel At Barrington 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 the introduction of Climafuel, 10,000 tonnes of waste that would otherwise be landfilled (equivalent to 8% of Cambridgeshire's annual landfill volume), have been used to make cement in Barrington.
Based on the biomass content in the fuel, the use of Climafuel has also saved nearly 13,000 tonnes of CO2, the same emissions as 4,700 cars produce in a year.
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 Barrington 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.
To secure the permit, the plant demonstrated compliance with six critical success factors that had been agreed with the EA in advance. Barrington plant already has permission for another alternative fuel, Secondary Liquid Fuel (SLF), which replaces up to 40 per cent of the fossil fuels required for the cement-making process.
This means that when used together, SLF and Climafuel can substitute up to 60 per cent of the fuel used to heat the kiln. This is significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the plant. Following the success of the trial to use Climafuel at a 20% replacement rate, CEMEX is now considering applying for permission to trial an increased rate.
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Notes to Editors:
CEMEX is a global building solutions company and leading supplier of cement, ready-mixed concrete and aggregates. In the UK, CEMEX also produces asphalt, and has a significant share of the roof tile, concrete-block paving, and concrete block sectors. Additionally, the company is the leading supplier of concrete sleepers to the rail industry and a supplier of PFA cement additives. CEMEX has a national supply network in the UK with over 500 locations, to ensure that quality building materials are available to customers locally. For more information, see www.cemex.co.uk, www.cemex.com. Barrington Works Barrington cement works has an 80 year long history of providing cement. 2007 was a record year for the works, which currently produces in the region of 300,000 tonnes of cement per annum, enough for nearly 17,000 houses. It provides direct employment for nearly 80 people, supporting many more jobs indirectly. The EA agreed these six critical success factors with CEMEX in advance of the trial: There will be no net environmental detriment to the local environment There will be no increase in fugitive emissions of odour and litter There will be a net reduction in primary fossil fuel usage The current specified emission limit values will not be exceeded The permit requirements of the Waste Incineration Directive will be fully complied with The operational requirements of this proposal will be built into the sites' Environmental Management System More information
For more information about the trial data and permit, please see /su/su_af_cl.asp