France: Heidelberg Materials France has commissioned a new dry kiln line at its Airvault cement plant in the New Aquitaine region, replacing two semi-dry clinker lines. The new line has a capacity of 1.25Mt/yr and will use a pre-calciner system, increasing alternative fuel use to around 90% and reducing electricity consumption per tonne of cement by 10%. The proportion of clinker in the cement will also be lowered through the new line, which will help to reduce CO₂ emissions by around 30% compared with previous production. The €350m project was partly funded by the French government and will also utilise calcined clay. A carbon capture, utilisation and storage project is also planned at the site, which will capture around 1Mt/yr of CO₂, and recently received a grant from the EU Innovation Fund.
Heidelberg Materials commissions new kiln line at Airvault plant
