New firing system cuts key emissions at CEMEX cement works in Barrington

Global building solutions company CEMEX has installed a new kiln firing system at the company's cement works in Barrington, Cambridgeshire.

The new firing system has helped achieve a reduction of over 30 per cent in oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Further good news is that the new system requires significantly less fuel. This has led to a ten per cent reduction in the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the works.

The new, sophisticated firing system makes it possible to optimise the flame and replaces one that was installed in 1964. Data show that Barrington works operates well within the emission limits set by the UK cement industry's regulator, the Environment Agency. However, the new £900,000 state-of-the-art firing system is well suited to increase the use of alternative fuels.

Increasing the use of alternative fuels as part-replacement for fossil fuels in cement kilns is key to improving environmental performance. At Barrington secondary liquid fuels (SLF) have been used successfully since 1993, and the company is also looking to start trials using an additional alternative fuels, Climafuel, later this year. Climafuel is a shredded, dry waste material that would typically consist of household refuse, screened paper, cardboard, wood, carpet, textiles and plastics.

All recoverable materials are removed for recycling purposes, while the remaining waste is subjected to a rapid drying and composting process to produce a solid, clean and non-hazardous fuel. Cement manufacture requires temperatures of 1,400 degrees centigrade, and supplementing fossil fuels with waste-derived alternative fuels reduces certain emissions, and has indirect benefits, such as recovering energy from what would otherwise be considered a waste material, thereby minimising illegal dumping, reducing landfilling and preserving fossil fuels for future generations.

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Notes to editors:

Barrington works Barrington cement works has provided cement for more than 80 years. 2005 was a record year and the works, which currently produces in the region of 300,000 tonnes of cement per annum. It provides direct employment for nearly 70 people, supporting many more jobs indirectly. Cement is essential locally and nationally, for housing, hospitals, schools and roads and every year Barrington produces high quality cement for the construction of nearly 17,000 houses (assuming that an average house contains approximately 18 tonnes of cement). For more information, please see www.cemex.co.uk. CEMEX 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 segments. Additionally, the company is the leading supplier of concrete sleepers to the rail industry and a dominant supplier of PFA cement additives. CEMEX has a national supply network in the UK with over 500 locations, to ensure that quality building materials is available to customers locally. For more information, see www.cemex.co.uk or www.cemex.com.