UK: UK Cement Plant Sets New Record

South Ferriby Cement Plant in North Lincolnshire, which is owned by building materials company CEMEX, has replaced 100% of the fuel used to heat its cement kiln with fuels made from wastes. South Ferriby’s achievement is likely to be a new record in the UK, where substitute fuels now represent 35% of all kiln fuels burned in cement kilns.

South Ferriby plant now also leads the way in Europe and within CEMEX’s global network of more than 60 cement plants worldwide. Further good news is that emissions, such as oxides of nitrogen and sulphur, have declined by 20% and 43% respectively since alternative fuels were introduced in 2002. Plant Director, Philip Baynes-Clarke, explained: “I am immensely proud that this record has been set using a kiln that was commissioned in 1973. It proves that with the right team, skills and capital investment, plants like ours in South Ferriby can have a long and healthy shelf life, and advance our manufacturing heritage. The use of alternative fuels at South Ferriby is key to improving the environmental performance of cement making. It helps to reduce our carbon footprint, but it also drives down other key emissions. Our 100% record was set over a three day period in March, with the kiln remaining stable and producing good quality cement clinker. The challenge is now to exceed our 90% weekly average record and use 100% over a more sustained period.”

Cement-making is energy intensive and involves heating up kilns to at least 1400 degrees Celsius. Increasing the use of alternative fuels made from waste is therefore key to saving fossil fuels for future generations. The alternative fuels used at South Ferriby are Secondary Liquid Fuels (SLF); made from industrial liquid wastes that cannot be recycled, such as paint, thinners, inks and varnishes, and Climafuel®; which is made from household residual and commercial waste that would otherwise go to landfill. The Climafuel used at South Ferriby is sourced from local suppliers. Last year, more than 36,000 tonnes of waste that would otherwise be landfilled have been used to make cement in South Ferriby. Based on the biomass content in alternative fuels, the plant has so far this year also saved the equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions that 11,000 cars produce in a year.