Lafarge has recently installed equipment that will allow it to use waste seeds, paper, and packaging scrap as fuel at its Davenport cement plant. With these and other by-product materials, the plant is expecting to replace up to 35,000 tons of coal per year and reduce CO2 emissions by almost 42,000 tons per year.

The total renewable fuel use at the plant will be equivalent to planting over 8,600 acres of forest or removing emissions from almost 7,000 motor vehicles.

Lafarge North America Inc., a leading supplier of cement products in the United States and Canada, has recently installed a renewable fuel system at its Davenport Cement Plant. Cement manufacturing requires high temperatures, typically provided by burning coal. The recently installed six million dollar system allows the plant to use waste seeds, paper, and packaging as fuel. The system will allow the plant to reduce the amount of coal it burns by about 35,000 tons in 2009. This represents approximately 25% of the plant’s fuel needs.

"Using local industrial by-products as fuels is positive for the environment, for the community, and for our suppliers," said Nalin Joshi, Lafarge Environmental Manager. "What was once wasted will now reduce our emissions, and provide environmental and economic benefit to us all. Already this year, we have diverted more than 15,000t of material from the landfill."

"The plant already uses locally produced waste oil and glycerin to fuel its cement manufacturing process. We"re proud to report that our renewable fuels use has increased from 7.5 percent in 2006 to about 25 percent of the total energy needed to produce high quality cements used in the central Midwest," added Joshi. "This is a great example of Lafarge"s efforts to improve our industry"s sustainability."