Displaying items by tag: Coprocessing

Bolivia: The municipal government of Santa Cruz de la Sierra has signed an agreement with Itacamba Cemento to recycle thousands of end-of-life tyres (ENDTs) into alternative fuel for cement production, according to the El Deber newspaper. The initiative was implemented through the Municipal Waste Management Company (Emacruz).

Under the agreement, discarded tyres collected from landfills will be transformed into thermal energy for use in Itacamba’s cement kilns, reducing waste and fossil fuel consumption. The tyres will be incinerated at temperatures exceeding 1400°C, with monitoring and gas-capture systems employed to prevent harmful emissions.

Mayor Jhonny Fernández said “We guarantee the responsible disposal of thousands of tonnes of tyres that would otherwise cause pollution or become breeding grounds for diseases like dengue. This is our tangible contribution to a healthier environment and better quality of life for our citizens.”

Itacamba Cemento general manager Marcelo Morales said “Co-processing is a globally recognised waste management method that complies with the waste hierarchy. Our kiln enables the complete and safe destruction of non-recyclable materials.”

Vietnam: Industry leaders have argued that co-processing of non-recyclable plastic waste in cement kilns could be a scalable solution to advance Vietnam’s sustainability and circular economy goals. At a workshop held in Hanoi on 2 October 2025, the Norwegian Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research (SINTEF) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, in partnership with the Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA), concluded the OPTOCE Project (‘Ocean Plastic Turned into an Opportunity in Circular Economy’), funded by the Norwegian government.

Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Hilde Solbakken said “Combating marine plastics and climate change is a top priority for Norway – both globally and in Vietnam. Through OPTOCE, we’ve seen how science-based solutions like co-processing can transform plastic waste into a resource that benefits the climate, the economy and communities.”

OPTOCE was originally launched as a regional initiative in five countries, including Vietnam, and later expanded to eight countries across Asia. The workshop featured several presentations and a panel discussion focusing on the legal framework, potential waste supplies, and the practices and challenges in implementing co-processing in Vietnam.

Dr Kåre Helge Karstensen, chief scientist and programme manager of OPTOCE, added that the initiative has proven co-processing to be both technically feasible and environmentally sound. “The next step is to move beyond pilots and integrate this solution into national policy frameworks to drive systemic change,” he said.

Dr Lương Đức Long, VNCA vice president, said Vietnam’s cement industry is already applying co-processing successfully. “Co-processing waste in cement kilns is a safe and effective solution. We hope the government introduces specific policies and incentives that support enterprises and technology transfer. If we join forces, co-processing will turn wastes into ‘black gold’ and cement factories into ideal co-processing hubs,” he said.

Vietnam’s cement plants, including INSEE’s Hon Chong facility in Kien Giang and Lam Thach Green Cement (QNC)’s plant in the north, have piloted this approach since 2021, achieving thermal substitution rates of 35–40%.

Argentina: The La Metropolitana recycling plant in Donovan despatched 14.1t of end-of-life tyres for industrial co-processing at Cementos Avellaneda’s La Calera plant. The facility uses the tyres as an energy source under a circular economy model. The initiative is promoted by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development to support environmental protection and proper waste management.

Colombia: Holcim Colombia has invested US$2m to modernise its co-processing platform at its Nobsa cement plant in Boyacá. The upgraded facility will process 100,000t/yr of waste into alternative fuels for the cement plant, raising thermal substitution to 40% in the short term, with a target of 70% by 2030.

CEO of Holcim Colombia Martín Costanian said “This project realises our dream of optimising the crushing circuit and scaling our capacity to replace fossil fuels with more sustainable and truly circular solutions.”

The system renovation includes the addition of a shredder with a nominal capacity of 10t/hr, as well as new transfer systems and a modern dosing system capable of feeding up to 20t/hr of alternative fuels to the kiln. The waste used will consist of paper, cardboard, plastics and biomass.

Manager of Geocycle José Méndez said “This project represents true circularity and a solution for the thousands of pieces of waste that end up in landfills each year.”

India: The Rural Development Department has signed a memorandum of understanding with ACC Cements to co-process non-recyclable plastic waste at its Barmana plant. The initiative will cover the Bilaspur, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi districts. The partnership follows similar agreements with Ambuja Cements and UltraTech Cements, and aims to reduce environmental pollution and landfill use through cement kiln co-processing.

India: The Rural Development Department of Himachal Pradesh has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ambuja Cements to address the issue of non-recyclable plastic waste in the state. Under this partnership, Ambuja Cements will collaborate with the department to co-process non-recyclable plastic in its cement kilns. The initiative will cover the districts of Chamba, Kangra, Shimla and Solan, where 29 plastic waste management units have been established.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines and Universal Robina Corporation (URC) have entered a tripartite agreement with the local government of Obando, Bulacan, to provide incentives for workers at the town's material recovery facility, based on the volume of refuse diverted. The material recovery facility in Obando has collected and sorted 785t of plastic waste for co-processing. Since 2021, URC and Holcim's waste management unit Geocycle has been processing plastic from URC's operations for co-processing. The plastics are converted into alternative fuels used to power the kiln at Holcim’s plant in Misamis Oriental.

Irwin Lee, URC president and CEO, said "This new agreement, with Obando as a key partner, aims to further drive community-based ‘waste’ diversion efforts. We hope to replicate it in other towns and cities to amplify the impact of what we set out to do three years ago."

Bolivia: The Viacha cement plant, operated by Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento (Soboce), has launched a pilot to co-process discarded electrical and electronic equipment into alternative fuels. This initiative, developed in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Water, involves the management of 133t of materials. The process includes converting discarded plastics with brominated flame retardants into energy for the plant.

CEO of Soboce, Francisco Shwortshik, said "Viacha has all the licenses and environmental authorisations for the co-processing of alternative fuels. Today we are witnessing a historic milestone for the industry, because it marks the beginning of the era of alternative fuels, as a sustainable environmental solution for the country."

Philippines: Republic Cement's resource recovery group, Ecoloop, has diverted 21.4 billion plastic sachets in 2023, equating to 110,000t of discarded materials utilised as alternative fuel in cement co-processing. This marks a 30% reduction in CO₂ emissions per ton of cement, according to The Philippine Star newspaper.

Ecoloop director Angela Edralin-Valencia said "This achievement represents a significant amount of materials diverted from landfills and bodies of water, such as oceans and urban waterways and further underscores Republic Cement’s commitment to environmental stewardship and circular economy principles."

India: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has decided to continue its partnership with Dalmia Cement, allowing the company to receive an additional 70,000t of refuse derived fuel (RDF) from a temporary transit station at Gadakana. This decision comes as part of ongoing efforts to manage the substantial amount of RDF generated from daily waste processing, according to the New Indian Express.

An official from the civic body said "As the waste-handling site receives around 450t/day of garbage, we have agreed to allow Dalmia to take another 70,000t of waste. Previously, we had signed a contract with the company to send 70,000t of RDF to its Rajgangpur factory for co-processing within nine months. In the last six months, around 50,000t of waste has been sent."