In a move that will help Lafarge Cement UK achieve a significant reduction in their carbon footprint, the Environment Agency (EA) has granted the company permission to use processed sewage pellets (PSP) as an additional sustainable fuel at Hope Works, in Derbyshire.

The company issued a newsletter to 5,000 homes and held two exhibitions to ensure the local community were aware of its plans and had the opportunity to put forward views and ask questions about the proposed new fuel.

Prompted by increased competition in the cement market and a serious downturn in demand for construction products, Lafarge will use PSP at Hope Works as a way of maintaining environmental performance, but also controlling rising energy costs.

‘We are very pleased to get the go-ahead from the EA,’ said Hope Works manager Ashley Bryan. ‘This fuel offers us environmental benefits such as reducing the amount of fossil fuels we use and cutting the amount of waste products that end up being destroyed with no energy recovery.

‘An additional benefit is that the use of PSP will help us achieve a reduction in our CO2 emissions and, therefore, help us meet future targets set by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EUETS). It is estimated that by using 30,000t of PSP, 20,000t of coal will be replaced and emissions of CO2 will be reduced by approximately 50,000t.’