EA grants permission for CEMEX to burn climafuel

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. 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 150,000 tonnes 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 215,000 tonnes.

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.

Rugby plant already has permission to use tyres as a fuel and has been doing so since early 2007. As a result of the success of the use of these alternatives to fossil fuels, CEMEX has applied to the Environment Agency for permission to trial Climafuel at the rate of up to 65% substitution. A decision on this application is expected later this year.

At the moment CEMEX sources Climafuel from a number of plants around the UK; however, in submitting planning applications for the construction of a Climafuel plant in Warwickshire, the company has signalled its desire to use local waste in the production of this fuel. The applications relate to the old cement works at Southam and Malpass Farm which is adjacent to the Rugby cement plant. It is likely that these applications will be considered by the county council in November.

CEMEX has also announced that it is entering into a commercial arrangement with the Waste Recycling Group (WRG) to build and operate the Climafuel plant, should planning permission be granted. WRG is one of the UK’s leading waste management companies with considerable expertise in the establishment and operation of such facilities.

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For further information: contact Ian Southcott m 07702 918494 e. ian.southcott@cemex.com

CEMEX UK
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

WRG
Waste Recycling Group Limited (WRG), a leading UK waste management and energy recovery company, is part of Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) the international construction and services group (www.fcc.es). FCC in the UK comprises WRG and Focsa Services (UK) Ltd. Focused on delivering integrated waste management and energy recovery solutions to meet national, regional and local needs, WRG operates facilities for the reception, recycling and disposal of waste, including a network of waste transfer and recycling centres and a regional network of landfill sites. www.wrg.co.uk