United States: Drake Cement’s Paulden plant seeking to expand clinker production

Drake Cement has submitted an application to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to increase clinker production at its Paulden plant from 660,000tpa to 726,000tpa.

The plant’s current permit runs until September 2017. A public hearing will be held on the decision to grant Drake’s application on 19 January 2017.

Local newspaper the Daily Courier reports that the Paulden plant has been running co-firing trials in a bid to reduce its dependence on coal. These trials are examining the use of locally-sourced biomass, industrial waste material, or scrap tyres.

The firm estimates that using a combination of tyres and biomass could result in reducing coal requirements by 16-48 per cent. Results of the trials will be known at the end of the month.