Displaying items by tag: Tyres

Mexico: Moctezuma inaugurated a US$12m alternative fuels storage system at its Tepetzingo cement plant in Morelos, after two years of engineering, planning and execution. The facility will process over 150,000t/yr of waste, including end-of-life tyres, municipal solid waste and non-recyclable materials, which will replace fossil fuels in cement production, with a goal of 30% substitution by 2030. The company said that the benefits of the project include saving thousands of tonnes of waste from landfill and mitigating methane emissions.

The producer, the Morelos government and the Ministry of Sustainable Development are also developing a circular economy centre in Jiutepec with an additional investment of US$1.6m. The facility will collect, shred and convert up to 3000t/month of tyres into alternative fuels.

Australia: Boral’s Berrima Cement Works celebrated a milestone of using more than 100,000t of alternative fuels in cement manufacturing at its facility during the 2025 financial year, according to a post by the producer on Linkedin. The facility displaced over 80,000t of coal. The fuels included high-biomass waste and tyres, which were diverted from landfill.

Boral said that it has achieved over 30% thermal energy substitution in the plant’s kiln, with successful trials reaching 45%. With recent upgrades such as the chlorine bypass and further infrastructure investment, the company targets 60% substitution in coming years.

Georgia: Hunnewell Cement, a subsidiary of HeidelbergCement Georgia, has launched a new project to use tyres as an alternative fuel at its Kaspi cement plant, with support from the Georgian government. The project has a budget of US$2.1m, and is expected to create additional job opportunities. It marks a shift from the use of coal and natural gas at the plant, to ‘significantly’ reduce environmental impact and contribute to sustainable development.

Economy minister Levan Davitashvili said "Our goal is to minimise environmental pollution from ‘waste’ while promoting economic development and creating added value.”

Oman: Oman's solid waste management entity, Be'ah, has reported progress in its strategy to transition solid waste from landfill disposal to refuse derived fuel (RDF), according to Oman Daily Observer.

In 2023, Be'ah launched initiatives focusing on transforming waste into RDF, electrical and electronic waste and green waste. The company has signed an agreement with Oman Cement Company to provide tyre derived fuel for its energy needs, eventually expanding to include RDF. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with Oman Cement during Oman Sustainability Week to explore the utilisation of RDF as an additional alternative fuel source, according to the company’s 2023 sustainability report.

Chair of Be’ah, Ahmed al Subhi, said "We take pride in our strategic resource management initiatives, having set ambitious targets for transitioning to a circular economy, including achieving 60% waste utilisation by 2025 and 80% by 2030.”

Mexico: The Secretariat of the Environment (Sedema) has reported that over 5600 tyres collected from illegal dumps in the districts of Xochimilco and Gustavo Madero have been transported to a treatment plant to be used as an alternative fuel for cement production. This initiative is part of a strategy to manage tyre waste, supported by a collaboration with Geocycle Mexico. The effort aims to address public environmental issues caused by tyre disposal in public spaces and environmentally sensitive areas, potentially leading to wildfires. Sedema also plans to expand tyre collection through the Reciclatrón Program to promote comprehensive waste management and reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and mineral extraction.

New Zealand: Golden Bay, New Zealand's sole cement producer and a division of Fletcher Building, is advancing its sustainability goals at its Portland plant near Whangārei. The plant has been incorporating old tyres and treated timber in its production process since 2021, with the Ministry for Environment helping fund US$10m of the US$15.5m to upgrade the plant for the project. The plant uses tyres to replace 55-60% of the coal required, and plans to eliminate coal use by 2030. The facility has increased its use of recycled tyres from 15,000t to 30,000t/yr and is aiming for 40,000t/yr. The government’s Tyrewise programme supports tyre recycling, with the plant also investing in an on-site shredder. Upcoming projects include substituting coal with non-recyclable materials like old carpets and plastics, targeting a 30% reduction in emissions. Construction has already started on the project and it is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Manufacturing manager Kelly Stevens said, "We’re diverting 100,000t/yr of waste that would’ve gone to landfill.”

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement is allocating US$8m, 20% of its planned US$40m investment in 2024, to increase sustainability efforts at its Rockfort plant. The company is aiming to become net-zero by increasing its use of alternative fuels and repurposing materials like tyres, which will also help to save on operational expenses and fuel costs, according to the company.

The repurposing of tyres, which commenced following a Government of Jamaica partnership, will remove a ‘significant’ portion of the estimated 1.5m tyres at the country’s Riverton dump, along with other materials such as pallets, which Caribbean Cement now uses as alternative fuel sources in the cement manufacturing process. With the help of its XRC3000c shredder obtained from Austria-based company UNTHA, Caribbean Cement said it has shredded more than 9000 tyres to date.

Managing director Jorge Martínez said “At the moment our first goal for the end of 2024 is to at least reach 10% alternative fuels. We will remove some of those fuels that are not renewable, substituting it with ones that are. This is part of our future in action programme. Some of these actions are also related to the reuse of some materials in the plant as we take waste materials from other industries and beach clean-ups for repurposing. We try to reuse them in any way we can.”

US: Holcim US has announced plans for a 25MW solar power plant to serve 75% of the electricity needs of its Alpena cement plant in Michigan. The company says that the installation at the Alpena plant will be the largest in the US Midwest Region. Holcim US chose NorthStar Clean Energy to build the array, which it says will eliminate 25,000t/yr of CO₂ emissions.

Other planned projects at the Alpena cement plant include an upgrade to the plant's dock in order to accommodate larger vessels and reduce the number of trips in its Great Lakes transport operations.

Holcim US' senior vice president, manufacturing, Michael Nixon said “As Holcim is showing in Alpena, the path to net-zero carbon emissions requires a blend of proactive solutions. Whether it’s using alternative fuels or implementing renewable energy from solar power, we are committed to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels — a goal that will benefit the environment as a whole and the Alpena community we have called home for more than 115 years.”

US: Holcim US has inaugurated a waste tyre processing plant at its Alpena cement plant in Michigan. The facility will process 22,000t/yr of tyres into refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for use at the cement plant. Holcim US partner Geocycle will collect, pre-process and deliver the tyres to the new facility.

Holcim US’ North regional senior vice president of manufacturing Michael Nixon said "Holcim has invested more than US$100m in eco-friendly technologies at the Alpena plant in the past 15 years. The tyre-derived fuel facility is another strong demonstration of our commitment to reducing emissions."

New Zealand: Golden Bay Cement has signed a deal with Genesis Energy for a supply of bottom ash from Huntly power plant for use in cement production at its Portland cement plant in Northland. Genesis Energy generates 20,000t/yr of bottom ash at the Huntly plant, situated in Waikato, 260km south of the Portland cement plant. The plant currently uses 15,000t/yr of fly ash from the Huntly power plant in its operations. The producer was previously investigating the use of volcanic ash in cement production in 2022. It currently uses waste tyres and wood waste as alternative fuels (AF) to produce its EcoSure low-carbon general-purpose cement.

Golden Bay Cement's general manager Gian Raffainer said "We are driven to decarbonise and achieve 30% less carbon by 2030. Contributing to waste reduction at a large scale for the benefit of all New Zealanders is incredibly exciting. It is a win-win for the environment and for Kiwis who want to use more environmentally friendly products."